


By The Light Of The Blood Moon

by VioletElder



Category: Hazbin Hotel (Web Series), Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, F/F, Fanfiction, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 11:54:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 30
Words: 40,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22849726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VioletElder/pseuds/VioletElder
Summary: A requested cross-over plot idea.Requested by a Twitter follower, this story is a retelling of the "Blood Moon Curse" from Star VS. The Forces Of Evil using the setting and characters from Hazbin Hotel
Relationships: Alastor/Angel Dust (Hazbin Hotel), Angel Dust/Valentino (Hazbin Hotel), Charlie Magne/Vaggie
Comments: 6
Kudos: 101





	1. Invitations

It all began as a normal and boring Wednesday afternoon. Angel Dust was sitting at the bar trying to encourage Husker to participate in a conversation. Husker was making himself appear to be busy polishing the same glass for two hours. Nifty was...everywhere...cleaning, cleaning, and cleaning. Alastor was around, but nobody really knew where, as usual, when Charlie came into the lobby and cleared her throat to try to get everyone's attention.

"Ahem" Charlie cleared her throat for the third time, waiting for eveyone to pay attention, but everyone continued with business as usual until Angel got everyone's attention for her.

"Hey ASSHOLES!" he shouted. When everyone turned to look at him, he smiled and gestured for Charlie to continue. In the mix of things, at some point Alastor had even manifested himself on the chair by the fireplace.

"Um, thank you, Angel?" Charlie nodded to the spider, who lifted his glass in return. "I have an announcement," she said. "We have all been invited to a special 'blood moon masquerade ball' to take place in two weeks." there was a general murmur among the hotel guests, but again, Angel was the first to speak up.

"Hey, wait a minute" he said with an air of suspicion. "I only know of one person that has ever thrown a blood moon ball, and that was Vox." At the mention of his name, Alastor stiffened slightly, his ever-present grin looking a bit forced. "Are you suggesting that we attend a ball thrown by Bambi's sworn enemy?" Alastor glared at Angel, as much as one can glare with a cheshire grin spread across their face. "No offense, but don'tcha think that might just be a bad idea?"

Charlie looked at Vaggie, who was standing on her right, although just a bit behind her before she continued. "We ah," she stammered a little with the words, before proceeding "we talked about that, but we don't really have any reason to believe that this is anything other than a gesture of goodwill, so I would like to encourage everyone to attend if at all possible. Who knows" she shrugged "He might be trying to make amends." With that she dismissed everyone and walked away to her office, Vaggie trailing right behind.

"Yeah right" Angel said into his drink. "whatever that no good sonofabitch is makin', it ain't amends."

"For once," said Alastor, who was now seated next to Angel at the bar "I do believe that we are in agreement."

"Well" growled Husker, his tone sour as usual, "I think you're both right, but I still think you're fuckin' idiots." as he slid a bourbon into Alastor's waiting hand.


	2. Making It Right

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angel has an unexpected visitor

"You wanted to see me?" Angel stood in the doorway. If he hadn't been wearing his signature pink gloves one might have thought he was examining his fingernails, but as it were, he was looking at his fingertips absentmindedly. He had that look about him, as if he were expecting something to be said that he would not like and at the same time he looked uncomfortable. Truth be told, he didn't really like being in Charlie's office. It wasn't that he didn't like the girl, most times she was fine. They got along well, or at least they got along well compared to Angel and Vaggie, but that was mainly because Angel liked to aggravate the girl to get a rise out of her. She was such an easy mark. Angel figured that maybe she just needed to get laid a bit more often to take the edge off, but that was none of his business, after all. He was only here because Charlie had sent for him, and the sooner he could make a getaway, the better.

"I guess you're wondering why I asked you to come see me, huh?" Charlie said almost tentatively, as if she were nervous about some undisclosed subject. Angel narrowed his eyes at her. She was up to something, he was sure of it.

"What's on your mind, Cha-Cha?" he said flatly. He really felt it would be better to get this over with as quickly as possible. He hadn't been up to any mischief. At least, not this week, so why was he feeling so uneasy about this whole thing?

"Lets, ah...go for a walk in the garden?" she answered, sounding more than just a little unsure of herself. Angel shrugged. Anything would be better than this room, since it seemed that every time he was here, someone was chewing his ass for some stupid shit he'd done.

"Okay, toots. Why not." He tried to smile, but he was still a bit nervous of what she had on her mind. Clearly, she was stalling, and that fact alone made him worry a little. As they made their way through the halls until finally exiting through the kitchen to the back garden, neither said a word, but the tension was palpable. As they rounded the corner to the sitting area on the patio, Angel stopped in his tracks seeing who was sitting there ostensibly waiting for the two of them to join him. He wasn't certain if he would stay or tell everyone present to get bent but seeing as it was Charlie that had asked him out here, he gave her the benefit of the doubt, although he cut his eyes towards her suspiciously.

"Baby..." said the guest sitting at the table, as he stood up to greet Angel, one of the only demons in the area that was able to tower over the spider.

"Don't you baby me you fuckin' bug." Angel took his seat next to Charlie. If the girl looked any more translucent, she would glow in the dark. He turned his attention back to the demon on his left side. "What the fuck do you want, Val? I thought that I made myself clear the last time we spoke, or do I need to shoot your ass again?" Angel sneered at his former boss, a bit of venom dribbling from his exposed fangs.

"Ho-ho..ld on, Angel" interrupted Charlie, placing a pale hand on his upper arm to get his attention away from his murderous thoughts, probably hoping to avoid a violent scene. Angel snapped his head towards her, making his displeasure at this set up obvious. "Please, Angel Dust," she begged, her eyes pleading with him for a little patience. "He's only here to make things right. I wouldn't have allowed him here otherwise."

Angel considered her words, then turned his head back to Valentino, who was looking nervous despite himself. He could hear the bug out, for Charlie's sake, but he wasn't going to be easily fooled. He had believed Val too many times in the past, and he had the scars to show for it, physically and mentally. Angel wasn't sure that a person like Val could change if he wanted to, and Charlie always believed the best in everyone, but then again, how many chances had she given Angel? More than she should have, he admitted to himself. He could hear Val out, then he would decide what to do afterwards.

"Alright Val," Angel replied, rolling his eyes. "You got ten minutes. Say what you came to say."

Valentino seemed relieved to hear Angel's reply. He wasted no time in getting down to business.

"Angel face. Doll, listen. You know what kinda guy I've been." Angel scoffed, waving his hand a bit for Val to continue. "I know, I know. I deserve that." He said, letting his gaze fall to his lap for a minute. "I ain't been no saint. Hell, I probably been worse to you than the devil himself, no offense there Charlie." He spoke gingerly.

"oh, it's ok." She chimed in "I hear that all the time. You wouldn't believe it." She smiled and urged him on.

"Anyways, Angel, baby." He reached out to take Angel Dust's hand, Angel just rolled his eyes again.

"Is this the part where you tell me you're sorry and it will never happen again, just come back with you?" sneered Angel "'cause I done that too many times, Val. It ain't happenin'. Not today, not ever."

Valentino shook his head and smiled. "You're one smart gal, Angel baby." He squeezed Angel's hand, waiting until Angel looked him in his eyes. "I ain't asking you to come home. I know you're done with that, and I'm okay with it."

"oh?" questioned Angel, now interested in hearing what Valentino was up to. "Why you here, then? Don't tell me your goin' straight and narrow?" Angel laughed, despite himself. The thought of Valentino changing his ways was a damn funny concept.

"oh Hell no." laughed Val, wiping a tear from his eyes. "no, that ain't it. You know me better than that" He scooted towards Angel a bit, putting the latter on the defense. "I just wanted to make sure you know that I would love it if you would reconsider coming to the masquerade ball. I heard through the grapevine that you wasn't coming, but really, I wanted to have this ball to make things a little better between us. I know I can't have you back, and that's understandable, but Angel, baby, it kills me that you hate me. I just want us to be friendly, even if you don't want to be friends. Please," he begged, "will you accept my personal invitation to come to the ball?"

Angel was, for once, speechless as he took the envelope that Valentino slid across the table to him. He pulled out the invitation inside to find it personally made out to him. He hated to admit it, but he and Valentino had a past together, and although Val turned out to be a real shitty boyfriend, it hadn't always been bad. In the beginning, they had been happy together. Maybe Angel should reconsider. Part of him still didn't trust Val completely though.

"It says on here that I can bring a plus one." He eyed Valentino. "That true? Can I bring someone with? Anyone?"

Valentino nodded, a grin spreading over his face, revealing the one gold tooth, matching to the one Angel had.

"Does that mean you accept my apology and invitation?" he asked eagerly, smiling broadly now.

"It means I will think about it." Angel said simply, knowing that he would end up attending. He just didn't want to let Valentino know it just yet. "I will let you know by this time tomorrow. I wanna think things over for a while first."

Val nodded. "That's all I ask for, Angel face." He said, placing a small kiss on Angels forehead before he got up and left the patio, leaving Angel and Charlie both staring after him, speechless.


	3. The Best Laid Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angel Dust finds his date for the ball that he wasn't going to attend

Alastor knocked on the door for the second time, his tattered patience already beginning to wear thin. This whole day had been a never-ending trial and each time Alastor dared to guess that he might have the situation under control, someone or something would change everything back into unorganized chaos. Although Alastor didn't mind causing chaos, he did not appreciate dealing with the chaos that others could stir up, and Angel was exceptionally adept at causing chaos.

"Angel!" he called out to the closed door, knocking once more, a bit louder this time. "I need to speak with you, and it won't wait. Please open the door." He demanded, although he tried to make it sound more like a request. He listened intently for an answer, but could only hear the shuffling of things and...singing? Perhaps it was loud humming, but there was music on the other side of the door. Having waited longer than he thought possible, Alastor decided that this was the time for action. Fishing the master key from his pocket, he thrust it into the knob and opened the door to reveal a semi-nude Angel Dust prancing around his room.

He was concentrating intently on an extremely short black dress, held up in front of his chest and leaving little to the imagination...Alastor could feel his face beginning to burn as he realized that this dress would barely cover, well, anything that Angel had. As Angel turned to and fro, seeming to admire himself from every angle, Alastor could see that he was wearing earbuds, and humming along to what Angel would refer to as music, but to Alastor's ears it sounded very much like rubbish. Looking away from the spectacle before him, and tapping his microphone stand on the floor twice, quite forcefully, the noise in Angel's ears suddenly stopped and he whipped immediately around to see Alastor standing in the doorway.

"Hey" he sauntered slowly over to where Alastor was still standing with an uncomfortable grin plastered across the face of the radio demon. "Like what you see, my deer?" he asked, gesturing down his own body with his one free hand.

Alastor snorted in disgust as he looked away. "So vulgar" he replied, aside.

The spider didn't seem to let the insult phase him in the least, turning back towards his closet and tossing the black dress into a crumpled pile of clothes in the floor. He was now reaching for another tasteless little number, Alastor couldn't quite decide if it was more little or more tasteless.

"If ya didn't come to ogle, whaddayawant?" he called out over his shoulder to his uncomfortable compatriot, who was busily taking in the sheer volume of clothing that had been discarded onto the floor into several scattered heaps.

"I came here to speak to you about this masquerade ball business" he said uneasily, using his shadows to gently pick up the haphazardly discarded clothing, folding it and stacking neatly on the bed. "I take it from the disarray of your living quarters that you are planning to attend it now?" he questioned, one eyebrow raised.

"So, what if I do, Bambi?" he shot a quick look over his shoulder to Alastor, who ignored the insult save for rolling his eyes. "I think I'm old enough to make up my own mind by now." He dropped the dress he was examining and picked up a different, but no less trashy outfit, pulling it across his midsection and turning left, then right to see it from different angles. It really didn't matter what angle he used, that dress simply did not suit him.

"Ah yes," Alastor replied, "you certainly are, my dear, but what changed your mind, then?" he queried, his eyes narrowing a bit and his smile a bit larger, flashing his yellowed teeth. "As I understood it before, you wanted no part of this entire debacle"

"Had a visitor yesterday. Asked me to come as a personal favor." Angel replied, seeming to be more interested in the latest dress he had picked out of the closet. It looked a fraction better, but still it didn't suit him at all. Apparently, Angel agreed with Alastor on the dress, as it found a new home next to his left foot, again, in a heap. Alastor's shadows busily continued to fold the errant clothing, the neat stacks on the bed now outnumbering the piles remaining on the floor.

"Let me guess," Alastor said dryly, "Mr. Valentino, I presume?" Angel never looked up, continuing to appraise his reflection with the latest selection, a sea foam green number that looked more like a negligee than an evening gown fit for a ball.

"Mmmmhmmm..." he hummed in reply, absentmindedly. "What do ya think of this one, Al?" Angel asked, prompting a defeated sigh in response from Alastor. "Yeah." Muttered Angel. "That's what I thought of it too." He said, dropping it to the floor. He turned around to face Alastor, still in only his briefs, which bothered Alastor much more than it appeared to phase Angel. "Listen," he said, looking Alastor in the eye, and placing all four hands on his hips. "I still ain't convinced that he's up to anything but his regular shit, but I feel like I hafta give him the chance, as a favor to Charlie. She's damn sure given me more chances than I deserve." Angel turned away, feeling vulnerable after making such a genuine statement. It was rare that he let anyone in on what he was really thinking, and oddly enough, he trusted Alastor. "But if'n you tell anybody I said that I will swear you're a damn liar. I still gotta reputation ta protect." He laughed nervously.

"That...." Said Alastor slowly "actually makes sense, Angel." He laid a hand gently on Angel's shoulder.

"Yeah?" he said, turning and looking up to Alastor's eyes. "Well, I get to bring a plus one." He said. "I don't want you to get the wrong idea, Al, but I'd feel better if it was you." Angel wasn't certain of how Alastor would view this request, but if there was any demon that Angel felt he could trust to have his back with Val and Nox, he knew that Alastor was his best bet. Besides, even though they argued like brothers, he and Alastor had their own kind of closeness, and Angel did consider Al to be his friend. He also wasn't too hard on the eyes and Angel had a not-so-secret flame for Alastor since the first time they met. Going with him might make this whole shindig kinda fun.

"Angel," whispered Alastor, smiling as always, "are you asking me to a dance?" he snickered. Angel Dust laughed with him.

"Yeah," said Angel. "I guess I am. Wanna go? Whadaya say?"

"I think" said Alastor "That if I am taking you to a ball," his smile widened "we will need to go shopping for a dress. These" he gestured to the neatly folded stacks on the bed "simply do not suit you. Nor do they suit me."

"Hey!" argued Angel, feeling a bit abused by Alastor's honest evaluation of his wardrobe "Are you saying that I have no taste?" He was only half kidding, although he was smiling when he said it.

"Oh, no, my dear fellow. Not at all." He said gently, his eyes shining. "I am saying that you have terrible taste! A hahahahahaha!" he laughed. "Now you'll need to put something on and meet me downstairs in twenty minutes. We have to a dress to find!"

"So, you'll go, then?" Angel asked expectantly

"Yes, my dear," he answered "I will go. Now please, for the love of Lucifer, put on some clothes!" he said, pinching the bridge of his nose and turning to leave, his head shaking.


	4. Have A Ball!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone Arrives at the Ball.

Angel strolled into the foyer of the hotel, having thrown on some everyday clothing. It was nothing special, since he knew from experience that shopping would entail him dressing and undressing over and over again. He settled on a light sundress, easy on, easy off. Simples. 

Alastor was waiting for him in his usual chair by the fireplace. It didn't look as if another soul was in the hotel anywhere that he could see, except of course Husker, who was wiping down the bar between slugs of cheap booze. It was nice to know that some things never change. As he took Alastor's offered arm and strolled out the front door he called over his shoulder "Don't wait up, Husky. We'll be back later!" as he blew a kiss. Husker didn't respond other than giving him the finger and muttering "I don't even wanna fuckin' know." 

The streets weren't very crowded, but then again it was mid afternoon on a weekday, so most demons and sinners were either working or sleeping off last nights' drunk. Either way, Angel Dust was happy with the lack of people. Too many people around tended to make him nervous, except when he was on stage. That, for some reason, wasn't the same at all to him. The place could be packed, as long as he was on the stage and not in the crowd, he was golden. 

They continued walking in relative silence, save for some slight static and white noise from Alastor. Angel wondered to himself if he could ever make the static completely stop? When Alastor slept, what happened to the smiles and static? He giggled to himself imagining Alastor soundly sleeping and the radio sounds that he continually emitted sounding like a child twisting the tuner knob all night long. Damn would that be annoying, thought Angel. He had another round of giggles as he thought that's probably why he's still single. That and the creepy ass smiling. Shit, now smiley boy was looking over at him. He had to stop this giggling before he was asked what was funny. Thankfully, Alastor just turned up the creepy-factor on his already too damn big smile and continued to walk alongside.

They had arrived to the shop where Angel frequented, but as Angel Dust started to turn towards it, Alastor latched onto his hand with his free claw and continued his pace forward. 

"Okay," offered Angel, "color me confused. I thought we were going shopping?" 

"We are, darling." Alastor continued looking directly ahead, his smile never faltering. 

"But we just passed the store, Smiles" Angel said, pulling them to a stop. 

"We aren't shopping at that store." Alastor said it with an air of (what was it?) indignity. 

"My favorite store isn't good enough for ya, huh?" Angel said, feeling a bit insulted and crossing his lower set of arms.

"I never said that, dear." Alastor seemed inconvenienced by the stopping, but he humored Angel. "They don't have what we're looking for." 

"Well" argued Angel, "How do you know that when you didn't even go in?" 

"Where did all the clothes in your room come from, Angel?" he asked, sounding like an exasperated parent arguing with a toddler.

"Well, duh" said Angel, rolling his eyes and crossing his second set of arms to match the first. "the store"

"That store?" 

"Obviously"

"Well," he said waving his hand dismissively. "If everything you have came from there, and none of it is suitable, " he paused, looking expectantly at Angel, his smile growing as the realization dawned on his companion.

"Shut the fuck up and let's keep walkin'" was all the response he got. Damn bossy know-it-all deer. Angel wondered where in hell (literally) they were going shopping and hoped he had the funding to cover it. Nice clothes were never cheap, and ball gowns even less so. 

"Such crude language." stated Alastor as he continued walking towards the nicer part of the shopping district. "It really isn't becoming of a lady, my dear." he grinned at Angel, enjoying the chance to torment him. 

"I ain't your average lady, my deer" sniffed Angel, sticking his nose up in the air trying to look like Alastor and mocking his tone near perfectly.

"You most certainly aren't, darling." Alastor laughed and his smile seemed to be more genuine. 

Well, whaddaya know. He can actually look not creepy when he smiles, thought Angel to himself. 

They had arrived at an upscale looking boutique and Alastor opened the door to allow Angel to enter before him. Angel Dust gaped at the beautiful gowns on display, any color and cut he could imagine. Even when he was working for Val he had never worn anything as nice as these. This place was like Shangri-La for a guy like him.

"Hey, uh, Al?" he muttered close to the other's ear, which flicked a little at Angel's breath.

"Yes, Angel?" Alastor answered quietly, his ear still twitching.

"I don't think we can shop here." He stammered out quietly "this stuff is worth some big coin, if you catch my drift"

"Just let me take care of that, darling." Alastor replied under his breath. 

"I can't do that," argued Angel, "It's too much to ask."

Alastor rolled his eyes, looking tired of this whole exchange, even through the smile. "Fine" he said. "You can pay me back, then. Deal?" 

Angel Dust had some real reservations about making any deals with Alastor, but he agreed to this one. "Fine." he said. "But I'm paying you back, y'hear?" He poked Alastor in the side with his finger.

"Fine" Alastor replied, mocking Angel's tone from a moment ago. 

After an hour and several changes of clothing later, Angel had found the dress that he loved and Alastor agreed to. It was a very long dress, which Alastor liked much better than the shorter ones Angel favored, but it had a slit that was cut almost all the way to the hip, which Angel liked because he could show off his slender legs. It was a dark red at the bottom, fading in an ombre to the top which was a beautiful ivory. It clung to one shoulder and was peppered with rhinestones which were more dense on the bottom and becoming more sparse on the top half. Angel was in love with this creation, and unless he read Alastor's face incorrectly, Alastor liked it as well. Perhaps this ball could be a lot of fun? It couldn't hurt his chances with Alastor, that was for sure. 

When the night of the ball arrived, Angel Dust had left nothing to chance. He had spent the better part of the day in preparations. He felt like a real queen as he descended the grand stairway to join everyone else in the foyer to ride over to the ball. Alastor's smile was genuine when he laid eyes on Angel, which made his heart flutter. He knew that they weren't an item, but it was nice to dream, wasn't it? 

The ride to the Blood Moon Ball was exciting and even a little chaotic because such things always are. Angel was relieved that the ball was being held at the convention center and not at a place owned by Vox or Val. He was also familiar with the convention center, which put him more at ease in case there was a problem, or if this was some kind of trick set up by Val to do who-knows-what. From the look of the block around the center, this was going to be a really big event. They pulled up to the entrance, which had been roped off with red velvet rope and there was a massive red carpet rolled out. 

"Wow." gasped Angel "They really went all in on the setup, didn't they?" Everyone else must have been equally surprised, as no one else could add anything to that. Suddenly the door was opened and everyone was getting out. Angel waited until last to exit because he wanted to be able to take his time in these heels with such a long dress. To his surprise, Alastor was waiting there for him, hand extended to assist him from the car. 

"Have I told you that I absolutely adore that gown on you?" He purred close to Angel's ear. "You look absolutely ravishing, my dear." he added with a smile.

"Oh," said Angel, taken a bit by surprise at the statement. "Well, thank you, Smiles. You don't look half bad yourself, ya know." 

Alastor offered his arm, and taking it, Angel and Alastor began their stroll down the red carpet, Alastor summoning his microphone as they took their time and looked incredibly fabulous doing so.


	5. Moonlight Serenade   Or    Blood Moon Blunders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ball finds Angel sharing a not so pleasant moment with Val, and a magical moment with Al

After everyone had managed to assemble inside, which was packed with a veritable "who's who" in Hell, the group was greeted by none other than Valentino himself. Angel Dust didn't find this at all surprising, given that he had been personally invited by the demon, but it was still not exactly "comfortable" given that he didn't trust Val's motives for shit.

"Angel, baby!" the words seemed to slide right off Val's slimy tongue. He moved in from across the room, making a bee-line for Angel Dust and sliding his arm around the spider, physically cutting him off from his date for the evening. Angel glanced back at Alastor as Val was pulling him away, but Alastor didn't intervene, he nodded to Angel. It was as if he was saying "it's okay, I'm keeping an eye on the situation" without saying a word. Angel mouthed a silent "thank you" over his shoulder, to which Alastor grinned a little wider and gave a quick nod. 

Valentino wasted no time in getting Angel secluded for a few moments, then, as if on cue, began trying to paw at Angel as if he was owned by Val. The bug was like an octopus, hands roaming where they pleased, that is until Angel pulled out the third set of arms, effectively halting all four of Val's hands and slapped him using one of his top set. "I ain't your piece of meat anymore, Val" he growled, low enough to not make a scene, but loud enough for the other demon to hear. 

Val seemed shocked at Angel's boldness, but didn't let it stop him in his pursuits. "Oh Angel face, sugar, you know I like it rough!" he said, pushing himself towards Angel and pinning him between his body and the wall. He leaned in closer so that he could speak directly into Angel's hidden ear-hole "let's save that for later, hmm?" His voice was a threatening purr, lust mixed with violence. Angel couldn't believe that he had ever found this attractive. He pushed back against Valentino, forcing enough room between them so that he could smooth the wrinkles from his gown before they started to set in to the high quality fabric. 

"In case you missed it, Val," he growled back, making certain to bare his fangs, "I didn't come in with you. That ship has sailed" he spat, a drop of venom landing on the other demon's face. "Not. Interested." He accentuated each word with a finger jab into the bug's chest, which was approximately eye level for the spider. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence, Angel wasn't sure if Val was going to say or do anything else, but Angel knew he was done here. He turned on his heel and stalked away from Valentino, scanning the room around him for Alastor or anyone from the hotel. He wanted the safety that larger numbers could provide. Before he could make a getaway, Valentino had latched onto one of his wrists, pulling Angel back against him, Valentino wrapping his arms around Angel as he fell backwards into Val's arms. 

"Babycakes," he purred into Angel's ear "don't make me remind you what happens when Daddy is displeased." Angel forced a hard swallow as he managed to pull himself free of Val's grasp. The threat had made its mark, Angel was definitely shaken and was desperately searching for his date for the evening, who managed to show up at just that time. Angel embraced Alastor, wrapping four arms around the other demon's torso and squeezing him tightly. Angel knew that he was being invasive, but he couldn't help himself, he needed to be held for just a moment until he could regain his nerve. To Angel's surprise, Alastor hugged him back and smiled down at him. 

"How about we go find a drink, my dear?" he cooed down to Angel's upturned face. Angel didn't have any words, so he just meekly nodded his head, thankful for Alastor's understanding of the situation and for the lack of questions. He'd been right to choose the radio demon as his partner in crime for the evening. As they walked away together towards the open bar only Valentino noticed when Alastor looked over his shoulder, grinning like a fool, only the slightly longer antlers and eye change giving away the change in his mood. If anyone around had been paying close attention, they might have noticed that the air seemed a little heavier for a moment and that there was a hint of sound system feedback that whistled through the speakers for an instant. 

Alastor had escorted Angel Dust to the bar and made a drink order for the two of them. They gathered their drinks and made their way to a small table on the edge of the seating area. Alastor set the two drinks on the table and pulled out a chair, gesturing for Angel to have a seat. 

"Thanks, Al" breathed Angel, sliding his hand around the amaretto sour that Alastor had ordered for him. He didn't know how Al knew, but he also wasn't inclined to question it at the moment. Angel was simply relieved to once again be in the presence of the deer demon, who was now seated beside him at the table, the two of them watching happy couples smiling for pictures being taken in the anteroom connecting the bar area with the dance floor which was now beginning to fill with patrons. 

"Everything alright, my dear?" questioned Alastor, who was still looking at the activity taking place near the photographers. "I apologize if I was late," he added, nodding towards Angel, "I didn't want to intervene if you had the situation under control, but I simply cannot abide a gentleman manhandling a lovely frail" There was a hint of anger behind the too-wide smile, and the fact that Alastor had just referred to him as a lovely woman wasn't lost on Angel. 

"Your timing was perfect, Al." answered Angel, as he let out a long breath. The alcohol was beginning to help him let go a bit, which honestly felt pretty good. Angel hadn't realized just how much tension he'd been carrying in his tight shoulders, but he leaned back to let them relax a moment, swirling his drink as he thought about the last few minutes. "So much for Val turning over a new leaf, huh?" he snickered, half to Alastor, half to himself. 

Alastor shook his head, only the smile making it look like anything other than resignation. "Men like that cannot change who they are." Alastor sighed. "Sadly, my own father was the same." he swallowed the last of his bourbon and set the glass down gently. "Never regretted gutting the bastard." 

Angel listened in stunned silence. He had never heard Alastor discuss much about his personal life before. It sounded like they had more in common than Angel had previously suspected. "I hear ya. My dad was a sonofabitch too." The two sat in companionable silence for a moment. Suddenly Alastor perked up, his grin becoming more genuine. 

"Look!" he exclaimed, he looked like a child on Christmas morning. It made Angel smile to see it, especially after their last conversation had turned so heavy. "there are our compatriots, by the photographer." Angel followed Alastor's gesture to see the racous group gathered near one of the cameras "Let's all do a group photo!" Alastor suggested to Angel, who smiled almost as wide as Alastor. 

"Okay Al!" he answered, the two of them rising to join the group, which seemed to be in great spirits. As Alastor and Angel joined the group there was a small cheer as the plan was laid out for everyone to be in one group picture. 

Valentino looked at the clock, noting that it was almost midnight already. His greeting to Angel sure hadn't gone as he had planned and his temper and impatience had almost ruined the entire scheme. He noticed that the group from the hotel were all together taking a picture, and he was relieved, it would make finding Angel much easier. He worked his way slowly across the room as he could hear the DJ giving the invitation for couples to take to the floor for the Blood Moon Couples Dance. 

"Come on folks," the voice called out to the room, "lets all take the floor for the spectacle of the entire evening. In a few moments the blood moon will be in position and one of you lucky couples will be chosen by the blood moon to be soulmates." a collective OOOH issued from the crowd. "Legend has it that the power of the blood moon will knit your very souls together, forming an unbreakable bond to last all of your days. Doesn't that sound nice?" The announcer went on to make some frivolous noises and faces. "If you're not chosen, well," he laughed "you are still free to do whatever you want with your date after the dance." He made a gesture as if he were elbowing someone next to him and an exaggerated wink. "Let's take to the floor, now. Don't be late and miss your chance!" 

Valentino glanced back over to the photographers as the opening strands began to play from the orchestra. The group from the hotel were all gathered around a monitor to choose a picture, which was perfect. Val was at least mostly sure they hadn't heard the announcement, giving him an advantage. Now he just needed to get Angel to the dance floor and it would be done. As he took his first steps he noticed that something was wrong. This was not the song he had ordered for the blood moon dance. It was supposed to be Angel and Val's song! He stormed over to the DJ to sort this shit out. 

"Al?" Angel slipped his hand over Alastor's arm to get his attention. The deer demon hummed a "HMMM?" as he grinned at his companion. "We're all dressed up, and this is a dance, and, well, I haven't been to a proper dance since I've been in hell." 

Alastor tilted his head to one side gently. "Angel," he asked, "are you suggesting that you'd like me to ask you to dance?" he teased the spider demon. Alastor was a great dancer, obviously, and he had planned to get to the floor with Angel at least once, anyway.

"Yeah, kinda," Angel laughed a bit nervously "If that's alright?" he added quickly. "I don't really trust anyone else here enough to dance wit' em." 

"Oh," teased Alastor, his smile widening "so you trust me, do you?" Angel wasn't sure whether he should trust that face or not, to be honest. He nodded a reply, not trusting his voice to answer. He'd had a thing for Alastor from the first time they'd met, of course. Alastor may not have shared Angel's feelings, but if he could get a dance out of this night, it might just be worth all the headache.

"Then may I have this dance?" Alastor bowed, extending his hand to Angel. 

"Of course" smiled the spider demon, placing one hand in Alastor's grip as he led them to the floor. The song was a particular favorite of Alastor's, he had played it many times in his career as a "radio man" when he was still alive. He pulled Angel in close, noticing that the other demon had used a new fragrance for the evening. When had Angel become so soft?He pulled Angel closer, and Angel never missed a cue, following Alastor's lead across the dance floor as they seemed to glide on the air itself. Alastor's head was spinning, he couldn't remember ever enjoying a dance more than this. He pulled Angel closer, delighting in the way that Angel Dust followed his lead. It seemed that the spider was a wonderful dancer, possesing the natural rhythm that very few dance partners are born with. "You are a wonderful dancer, darling" he said tenderly, as he lowered Angel into a graceful dip.

"You're not so bad yourself," Angel answered, a lovely blush on his cheeks. Angel couldn't understand his feelings right now. He knew that he liked Alastor before, but this was different. It had begun to feel as if there was nothing else in this world but Alastor and him, dancing to this, his most favorite song. Angel had never told anyone but this was the song that he had always dreamed of dancing to as his first dance when he married. Of course, Angel had always known deep down that he would never have the chance to marry when he was alive, at least not for love. If this was the best he could have, he would take it, he thought as he wound his arms around Alastor, who for once didn't try to shy away from his touch. 

Both of the dancing demons were unaware of the dark red glow around them as they danced together, oblivious to anything else but one another, and certainly not noticing the very angry Valentino pushing his way into the middle of the dance floor. The furious pimp pulled a pistol from his waistband, shooting it straight up into the air, hitting the sparkling disco ball and sending shards of broken mirror bits everywhere from the impact, which left the disco ball reeling from one side to another, hopelessly off balance. 

"WHAT. THE. FUCK! You creepy ass smiling bastard!" he shouted angrily at Alastor, who had spun around and stepped in front of Angel Dust who was desperately trying to get between the two demons. Alastor's antlers had already begun to lengthen, at a much quicker pace than usual, and his eyes were already changing as well. "That was supposed to be MY dance, you freakish aberration!" he had already leveled the pistol at Alastor, who had summoned his microphone. 

"I command you to stop right NOW!" came a loud shout from off the dance floor, followed by the appearance of Charlie, who had assumed her demon form as well and was brandishing her Triton, the symbol of her station as the princess of hell. Both demons were frozen in place, at least for the moment. Charlie wasn't certain how long she could contain both of these overlords, but hoped it would be long enough to get them away from one another and avoid the inevitable bloodbath should no one intervene. 

"Alastor!" she snapped at the deer demon, who instantly unfroze and snapped back to his less threatening form.

"Ah, yes" he said, shaking the mental cobwebs from his head. "yes, Charlie?" he answered, his smile much less sinister than a few moments ago.

"Can you get us all out of here at once?" she questioned, never taking her eyes from Valentino and Vox, who had materialized on the sidelines and were also frozen for the moment. 

"I believe that I can my dear" he said cheerfully, and with that, the entire group from the hotel was instantly pulled together by shadows and immediately taken en masse to the lobby of the hotel. 

"Whoa" moaned Vaggie, "that was seriously freaky" 

"Yes!" chirped Niffty "but FUN!" 

"I think I'm gonna be sick" coughed Angel, who looked a bit pale

"What the FUCK?!?" exclaimed Husker grumpily, stomping off towards the bar.


	6. Unfinished Business

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone has a little time to themselves, although some a little less alone than others.

Angel Dust decided that this was a good time to go to his room and try to process the events of the night, besides, he was still in this beautiful formal gown and he needed to change his clothes and take care of Nuggets, who was likely ready for a walk to do his piggy business. Once he had arrived in his room, he took a long last look at himself in the mirror, wanting to remember everything about how he looked tonight, then he sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing Nuggets' head between the ears absentmindedly. All Angel Dust could think about was the dance he'd shared with Alastor and how it seemed as if the rest of the night was a blur and that one moment was all that had mattered.

He sighed, feeling his heart break a little that the night was over and now things had to go back to how they had always been between him and Alastor. Angel knew that this was the trade off he was making when he had asked for the radio demon to accompany him tonight, he knew that he was already infatuated with this dear deer demon and that going on a dance date, even if just for appearance's sake, was going to leave him with a new crack in his already damaged heart. He hadn't noticed the tear rolling slowly down his cheek until it dropped to his hand. Angel sighed. No use mourning something that couldn't be...Angel smiled ruefully, catching a last glimpse of himself before he pulled the long, beautiful dress over his head. He wasn't just mourning something that couldn't be, he was mourning something that never was, and that was far more pathetic. If he ever managed to write the story of his afterlife, that would be the title "pathetic". He couldn't think of a word that better summed up how he felt right now.

He grabbed the first thing he found in his drawers, now all tidy with folded clothes since Alastor had folded them all up the other day, well, his shadows had, but really, it was kinda the same thing, wasn't it? 

He gathered up the leash and attached it to the harness on his little piggy and called it to him before sighing and leading the way into the hall to take a little walk around the garden and get some air while Nuggets could get some exercise and do his thing before bed. Angel was truthfully a little let down that everyone was probably already turned in for the night and he would be stuck outside waiting alone with his thoughts, the last thing he wanted to keep him company. He felt a gnawing void inside his chest, and if he wasn't mistaken, it would be a long and sleepless night alone. 

**********

Alastor stood up as he saw Angel and Nuggets enter the back garden. He leaned against the biggest chimney, where he knew the shadows would hide him from sight. He didn't want to seem like a stalking creeper, after all. He just knew that he missed Angel already, although he couldn't figure out for the life of him why he missed him so much already. They had only been back from the dance for a few hours at best, but as soon as they were parted, he began to feel a strange emptiness, as if the air had been pulled from the room.

He hadn't realized that he had become so fond of the banter and the company. What was happening to him? He had always been alone and quite content to be so, other than, of course, the times that he sought out the company of another misfortunate soul that he could eradicate, but that was a completely different type of company. He turned the thoughts over and over in his head, trying to make sense of it all. Why was he so taken with this particular demon?

He watched as Angel unhooked the leash and allowed the piggy to run freely in the back garden, and how he would kick around the old basketball lying on the ground for the pig to run after and root it back to Angel to only repeat the process again. Alastor longed to leave his perch on the roof to seek out Angel's companionship, but he couldn't do so without revealing that he had been spying from above, and he was certain that no one likes to be under surveillance.

Angel had sat down at the patio table. It looked like he was wiping his eye, was he crying? Alastor felt his heart sinking. He could feel the hurt in his own heart for Angel, it had been a very emotionally trying night for the poor spider. He'd had to put up with that lowlife Valentino pawing over him like a piece of meat, then there was the explosive confrontation on the dance floor. What had that all been about, anyway? Certainly, Valentino couldn't have expected Angel Dust to want to dance with him after what had happened earlier?

Thinking back on the situation he'd found them in made Alastor's blood boil, almost literally. He hadn't become aware of his mood shifting until he could feel the static becoming thick in the air and he caught a flash of a sigil, which thankfully alerted him of the shift as his antlers had begun to lengthen. With a snap, Alastor caught that frustration and pushed it back inside, tamping it down until he could find a victim later and deal with it properly. Angel must have felt the change too, as he had suddenly looked up and around himself, checking on Nuggets. That was too close for Alastor's taste. Had Angel noticed a few seconds earlier and looked up he would have certainly seen Alastor's glowing eyes and given himself away.

Alastor noticed with disappointment that Angel was gathering Nuggets and reattaching the leash to leave and return inside, no doubt because he felt the presence of the predator above him, although he had nothing to fear. Alastor knew that there was no way he would ever harm Angel Dust. He realized with a startle that he loved the spider demon. Where in hell had that come from? Even as he questioned it, he knew it was true.

Alastor knew in his black soul that even if it came down to his life for Angel's, he would gladly give his own existence to ensure the safety of his friend. Funny, Alastor thought as he assumed his shadow form and slid down the side of the hotel and into the alley next door to seek his victim, he never thought he would be able to call anyone, let alone an ex-porn star, his friend. What was happening to him?

It didn't take long for Alastor to find his prey. He took his time toying with them, but as much as he tortured and brutalized them, their screams did nothing to alleviate the pain in his soul. Even as he tired of the game and ended their suffering, he felt regret. Not the usual regret of ending his games, but the regret that he would have to return alone, to be alone, to not have a good excuse to seek out Angel's opinion on something. How long had he felt this way? He knew that since Angel had asked him to accompany him to this ball he had been somehow lighter, somehow happier, he hadn't even hunted much. He had been too busy being occupied with preparations for this ball and making certain everything had been perfect.

He smiled to himself remembering the dress-shopping expedition. He felt that same joy bubble up inside as he remembered the look on Angel's face as he had taken that first long look around the boutique. Alastor had guessed that he had never worn a designer label dress, but he hadn't counted on how stunning Angel would look in one.

That day, at the boutique, Alastor decided, that had been the beginning, hadn't it? But no, if he really thought about it, it had been before that, when he was in Angel's room, watching him destroy that closet looking for the perfect dress. He hadn't shown it then, well, he'd been a bit out of his element with Angel half nude and all, but he had been so bemused. It reminded him of when he was alive, and his mother would be trying to dress for a rare night out with his father. Those nights had been less and less frequent as he'd grown older, but when he was younger, he remembered how his mother and father would take a night to dress up and go dancing while Alastor stayed with the nice lady next door. He had loved watching his mother transform from the mother he saw daily to a vision of elegance and perfection when she dressed up. She had been so beautiful and when she dressed up, she brought out the beauty that was normally hidden. Yes, that had been the time when he began to fall, he decided.

Alastor decided that it was time to go home, alone or not, he needed to go home. He needed to clean the blood from himself, which he'd spattered everywhere, no less. Then he needed to see Angel Dust, even if only while concealing himself in the shadows, he just wouldn't survive until morning otherwise. This simply could not wait. There was unfinished business to attend to.


	7. Someone To Watch Over Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The difference between a romantic walk and stalking is that in only one scenario do both parties know the other is present.   
> Don't confuse stalking with affection, kids. There is a difference.   
> Alastor is being a bit of a creeper.

Angel had been back in his room for about an hour before he finally felt more like himself. Maybe it had been all the craziness of the night, or maybe he was on an emotional roller coaster. Maybe it was that feeling you get after the holidays, when you just feel deflated and...blah...He wasn't sure, but he hoped it would pass soon and things could get back to the normal way they sucked. 

He had been enjoying, well, mostly enjoying, the time in the back garden with Nuggets. They had run around a little and played ball before Angel sat down at the table to let the little piggy go for a rummage around the garden. It sucked to be out there alone with his thoughts, but at least he got his one good cry out before he had the feeling of danger being near. He couldn't explain it, but ever since he had been in hell he had a sort of sixth sense about danger. He and Molly, who was a spider demon like him used to joke and call it his "spider sense", of course, she had it too, so maybe it was a spider thing? Who knows. All Angel could say was that there was something very dangerous and it made him nervous. At least he had managed to gather up Fat Nuggets and make it inside before anything happened. Of course, now he was stuck inside where he would have to be careful to not make too much noise or he would have people knocking on his door to "see if he's alright" which he knew was code for making sure he wasn't high off his ass or drinking. Hell, they had found him cutting one time and now, anytime he made a peep Charlie would hound him about his feelings and badger him into talking about things that he would rather not. No way did he want to discuss this with anyone. His broken heart was his own, dammit. He didn't feel obligated to share that with anyone, least of all the people that he shared this home with. The last thing he wanted right now was an awkward conversation with Alastor. The demon had been nothing if not good as gold to him tonight, he even gave him the best memory ever, of dancing to his dream song with someone he loved, even if it had been a one sided thing. The memory might be bittersweet, but it was his and he didn't want to share it with anyone. 

He had managed to get into his pajamas, which were really just an old T shirt and a pair of shorts. Nuggets was already curled up in his little soft piggy bed next to Angel Dust's bed. Angel stretched and let out a long yawn. Maybe he should try to nap, at least for a little while. It had been a long night, and from the looks of the skyline outside, the morning would be here soon. Angel laid his weary head down on the pillow and closed his eyes, willing sleep to come and take him. Although he doubted he would find sleep, he only cried about a half hour before he softly hiccupped himself to sleep. 

On the other side of the room, in the dark corner by the closet, a shadow slowly crept its way across the floor, rising up and sliding onto the top of the covers next to the sleeping Angel Dust, who was undisturbed. The shadow ran a ghostly hand across Angel's head, petting his fur and causing him to snuggle in a little more, leaning into the feathery touch. Although he would have liked to have remained there for the rest of the night, Alastor knew that morning would arrive soon and he had some very pressing business to attend to, so he silently slid across the floor, escaping into the light of the hallway just under the door. 

As he returned to his normal form, he heard a gasp behind him. Alastor whipped around to see a very shocked Charlie, her hand at her mouth and eyes as big as saucers. Well, he thought, this will be an awkward conversation.


	8. Suspicious Minds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When you get caught, you have to explain.   
> or if you're a deal maker, you make a deal.

"I can explain!" Alastor said as soon as they had walked a few steps from Angel's door.

"You're going to have to." stated Charlie, crossing her arms and looking up at Alastor, her eyes a mixture of confusion and accusation. "I gotta say, that whole situation looked pretty fucked up."

It was clear that she had misunderstood Alastor's intentions of being in Angel's room as a shadow. He knew that she was aware of his ability, but other than her, he was almost certain that no one else knew. Well, no one except of course, Husker and Niffty, but they weren't going to talk about it. They knew better. The problem now was going to be making Charlie understand what was going on so that she would know that he wasn't doing terrible things behind her back. They had almost made it all the way to her office before Alastor had managed to figure out the best way to explain this.

As she took a seat at her desk, she gestured for him to speak, not bothering to waste time with asking why.

"I know how it looked, Charlie, but I didn't do anything wrong." She tilted her head to one side, her mouth began to open, but Alastor held up a hand "please," he begged, "let me finish." She closed her mouth and nodded. "This has been a very long night for both Angel Dust and for me," he said, "and I think that we are both a little lost right now. I don't know all of what is going on here, but I can assure you that my intentions are pure, for once." He searched her face for any sign of recognition, but it was still unreadable. "I don't know how, but I have...feelings...inside" he began "for him. I think that I might be..."

"in love?" asked Charlie, comprehension spread across her face.

"I think that is a distinct possibility" he said, thankful that she had finished the sentence for him. Alastor wasn't sure that he would ever get used to the idea of feeling love for another soul in Hell. He had been here for longer than many of the demons that had been in and out of relationships. He had long ago, even as a human, written off the idea of romantic feelings for anyone. He had simply never met another person that made him feel these things. "I won't lie," he added slowly, even thoughtfully. "The idea frightens me a little. It makes me worry about being weakened." He realized as the words came out of his mouth that there was more truth there than he cared to admit. Alastor hated to lose at anything, and the only thing he hated as much as losing was being weak. He had spent his entire afterlife making himself not weak.

"Do you know when you started having these feelings?" asked Charlie gently, "was it tonight?" she added

"I am not...completely certain." he answered, not wanting to mention that he was feeling some of this prior to tonight. "I know that they have become stronger tonight, but I might have felt some attraction before now. Why?" he asked.

"Well," she said, drawing it out, "I think we need to have a meeting with Valentino, because I need to ask him some questions, and you and Angel should be there to hear his answers."

"I don't think that's very wise, Charlie" Answered Alastor, remembering the scene he walked into before the group pictures were taken. He hadn't had the chance to divulge that information to anyone, but he was certain that Angel was not going to be in the mental state to confront Valentino again this soon.

"If he confirms my theory," insisted Charlie "Angel will have to know."

"Let us speak to him first, then" offered Alastor, "and if need be, we can speak to Angel about it afterwards. There was an...let's call it an event...that you are not aware of this evening and if I hadn't been there to rescue Angel he would have had a much worse night."

A look of knowing crossed Charlie's face, mixed with anger, then calm. "Okay then. We can do that." she paused for a minute. "but this does not answer the question of what you were doing in Angel's room. Did he know you were in there?"

Alastor had hoped that she wouldn't come back to this again, but since she had, he decided to just tell her the truth. "Charlie" he said gently "I am going to tell you something that absolutely cannot leave this room. Not even Vaggie." He waited until she nodded her agreement before he continued. "I was watching Angel this evening, not in his room, this was earlier, he was outside with his pig, and I was outside on the roof, as is my habit of the night." Charlie looked surprised by this but nodded for him to continue. "Angel seemed very upset. I am almost certain that he was crying. I couldn't figure out what was wrong, but something is wrong." He stopped for a moment to gather his thoughts.

"I felt so empty inside, like part of me was missing, but when I was close to Angel Dust, that feeling went away, even if just a little. It became bearable. When I came back, I had to see him again, even if it was just to check on him and be sure he is alright. I had been in his room for a while, and yes, I watched him, which sounds terrible." he looked down for a moment, then continued. "He cried himself to sleep, Charlie. He was so miserable. I just couldn't leave him like that, so I stayed. When he started to mumble or shift, I would rub his head, and it seemed to comfort him." He looked back up at Charlie, his red eyes glistening a bit. "I just wanted to comfort him and myself. I will tell him tomorrow and if he is upset, then I will accept any consequence, but I had no choice. I had to be near him, even if just for a while."

Charlie smiled at him despite herself. "I can live with that. If it's any consolation, I think we will all have some answers tomorrow after we speak to Valentino, but I do want you to talk to Angel and let him know what happened. Okay?" Charlie smiled so sweetly. Alastor didn't like the idea of telling Angel, but she was right, he deserved to know.

"I will speak to him first thing tomorrow." he rose to leave. "And Charlie?" he waited until she looked up to him before continuing, "This stays between us, darling. Do we have a deal?" He held out his hand, the atmosphere in the room quickly changing and a wild breeze blowing through.

Charlie took his hand without hesitation. "Deal." she said simply, sealing the agreement between them.

With that, Alastor took his leave, roaming silently through the halls until he passed Angel's room, stopping long enough to lay his hand gently on the door, then continuing to his room, next door. He had enough time to freshen up before the day would begin in earnest. He decided to make the best possible use of the time.


	9. Stranger Than Fiction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What the label says. Sometimes the truth can be stranger than lies.  
> also, Alastor is like a kid in a candy store when he has someone to torment. I love it.

Once the sun was up and the world in hell was waking, Alastor put on his best smile and left his room. He stopped briefly at Angel's door, listening for any movement inside, but it seemed quiet. He was probably still asleep, poor thing, it had been such a long night and Alastor didn't want to wake him, but he was also simply aching to see him. He would normally have slid under the door for a moment as a shadow, but he was afraid of being caught exiting again, which really would not have made a great impression on Charlie, and also, there was the matter of it being daylight now and other people might notice. He decided he would chance a small knock and if there was no answer he would simply catch Angel in a bit, no harm done. 

He had knocked, but still heard no movement inside, so he straightened his jacket and continued down the hall. As he rounded the corner at the stairs, he could hear Angel talking to someone below. He must have been outside with his pig already. Of course, thought Alastor. But then he heard a louder voice shouting something. Alastor snapped his fingers and went immediately to the source of the sound, appearing next to Angel Dust, who was holding Fat Nuggets and none other than Valentino shouting at Angel to stop walking away and come speak to him now. Infuriated, Alastor stormed over to where Valentino was standing, only for Val to try to outrun the stronger demon. 

"You fool!" shouted Alastor, his antlers already rapidly spreading, "I'm a deer demon you dullard! You can't outrun me." He gave chase across the street, then, stopping, snapped his fingers just prior to several dark tentacles sprouting from the ground and wrapping themselves around Valentino's legs. Alastor strolled over to Valentino, who seemed very agitated at having been caught, and without a word he moved his hand, suspending Val in midair and pulling him right back over to the hotel. "Oh Chaaaaarlieee!" he called out cheerfully, as though he hadn't just been on the verge of homicide. "We have a guest, Charlie!" 

He left Val upended and suspended in the air, following helplessly behind as he entered into the front door of the hotel, Angel Dust standing in the back garden quietly saying "What the fuck was THAT?" 

*********************************************************

Once Valentino, Charlie, and Alastor were in the office, Valentino now being upright and seated, although still bound up tightly by the shadowy tentacles, Charlie began the impromptu meeting. 

"So nice of you to join us, Valentino" smiled Charlie. "I was going to come visit you, but you saved me the trouble!" The only person in the room that managed to smile more than Charlie was Alastor, which made Valentino very nervous. 

"The pleasure is all yours." he spat furiously. "Can you get these fucking things off of me?" he demanded.

"No, I am afraid we can't" said Alastor dryly. "We have some questions and you are going to answer them" 

"Ha." he said with a sneer. "Not if I don't wanna. Eldritch powers or not, I only talk if it suits me." he bragged. 

"It will suit you very well, my dear" growled Alastor. "Or maybe you might like to see what life can be like after your second death, perhaps? We still have unfinished business from last night." Alastor simply smiled a little wider and waited until it registered to Valentino that this was not an empty threat before looking back to Charlie.

"Right." she said, eyeing Alastor nervously. "So. Val. Spill. What was the deal with the dance last night? What happened when Al and Angel danced?" 

Valentino was laughing. It started as a little snicker, but ended up as a maniac, although Charlie and Alastor didn't seem to be amused in the slightest. "You are some thick motherfuckers, you know that, right?" 

Alastor stood up. "Well, Charlie," he said with an eye roll. "It looks like we are done here. Shall I take him outside to make cleanup easier, or shall I do it in the lobby to set an example?" he stopped, as if considering his options. "Oh! I know." he said excitedly, his grin growing exponentially, "I can broadcast it, just like the old days! Wouldn't that be swell? I think I love that idea the best!" Alastor was clearly quite excited about the whole business, which made Val look to Charlie for help. She just waved them off with her hand. 

"Meh. If he isn't going to talk, I don't care what you do with him." She looked from Val to Alastor and then smiled sweetly "Have fun, boys!" she said. 

"Wait, Wait WAIT!" yelled Val, his voice raising by at least an octave. "I can tell you what happened just call him off!" 

Charlie looked up at Val and then to Alastor "Let's see what he has to say, Al." Alastor looked seriously disappointed, but he leaned against the door frame, pausing his exit long enough for Val to speak.

"I swear to Satan, you're as fucked up as he is!" cursed Val

"HEY!" Charlie shouted, her features momentarily changing to her demon form, "That's my dad, you asshole. Watch your damn mouth." 

"Sorry." he said "Habit. Anyway, last night"

"Yes," said Alastor, losing patience "about last night. What do you know"

"It was announced at the dance, ya know" said Valentino "you were all too busy with the cameraman to notice." 

Charlie held her hands out in exasperation "And?!?" 

"The blood moon curse. Does nobody here know what it is?" Val sounded both exasperated and incredulous. "At the stroke of midnight, at the blood moon ball, the moon will choose one couple and their souls are knitted together. They become soulmates. Forever." He looked up at Alastor, angrily. "That was supposed to be MY dance with Angel, not yours, Deer Boy. It was supposed to be ME!" 

Alastor fell into the chair behind him, a myriad of thoughts running through his head. Was the curse the only reason that he had these feelings? He had been so caught up with the idea that he might have finally found love that it actually hurt to think that it hadn't just been love between the two of them. 

That explanation did, however, explain why the feeling had been so much stronger since the dance last night. So now, he was going to need to have Angel by his side forever? He had become a little more at ease with the idea of love, but that was when it had been his idea. If this was something that he hadn't had a choice in, did that change things? He needed to think about this. He needed to be alone for a minute, and so of course, now is the time that Angel decided to walk into Charlies office. 

"What, and I cannot stress this enough, the FUCK is going on here?!?" he demanded, seeing Alastor disheveled in a chair, Charlie with mouth agape, and Val, suspended by shadow tentacles and looking as if he was having a stroke.


	10. What Goes Around...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As advertised, someone is getting exactly what is coming to them, and far more than they set out for.

"Angel Cakes!" Valentino called out as soon as Angels' four hands came down to rest on his hips. Everyone in the room turned to look towards the pimp, still tightly wound in the shadow tentacles. Angel made a face of pure disgust as he reared back and punched Val right in the face, earning a collective gasp from the onlookers.

"That's for ruining my night, ya jerk!" he spat, still furious with him after last night's events. Then he followed up with a solid, resounding slap to the overlord's face, leaving a dark hand print in its wake. "And that was for the way you treated my friends" he said, his temper getting the better part of him. "I can't believe you made a scene and pulled a goddamn gun on my date!" Angel dropped into the only empty chair in the room, in the corner. He looked up at Charlie "Do you think we can get rid of that guy?" he said, jerking his chin in Val's direction. "He's beginning to stink up the place, and my constitution is a little offended by the stench." He gave a poisonous look to Valentino.

"S-sure thing, Angel." Agreed Charlie, nervously. She gave a nod to Alastor, who walked silently from the room, the securely wrapped pimp being carried along behind him, upside down once again.

"Hey Deer Boy!" complained Val, the hand print on his face even darker now and the bruising from Angels right hook beginning to show as well. "Can you not flip me over?"

Alastor just kept on walking, ignoring the swears and curses of his unwilling passenger. He strolled through the lobby and out the door, Valentino being pulled close behind him. Once outside, he silently continued to walk from the hotel. Val calmed down enough to realize that this was not the way to the studio. This was the quickest way to the red-light district...Val's territory! He didn't want to be seen there like this, a captive to a stronger demon. He knew he would be losing respect from those parasites that worked for him.

"Can't you just turn me loose, already?" he said, exasperated. He was tired of being wrapped up in these things, he was tired of yelling and begging, and he was tired of this damn deer. He just wanted to get to the studio and figure out his next move. Everything had been ruined last night, he needed a new plan. He hadn't noticed that they had arrived in the busiest part of the district, yet, here they were. What the hell was this red bastard planning anyway? "You gonna turn me loose now, Radio Freak?"

Val watched as Alastor stopped walking, then turned slowly towards him. The demon leaned forward, stooping until their eyes were level, noses nearly touching. He then tilted his head and smiled even more widely.

"No" he replied.

Saying nothing else, Alastor laid his right hand in front of his chest and began to lift it, palm up, towards the sky. As he raised the hand, the ground began to shake. Alastor's eyes flashed with static, but he continued, his open hand resembling a claw, he continued to raise it upwards, gradually closing it to a fist. Val watched in amazement as a wooden post came up from the ground, it had what resembled stocks on it. At that moment, the plan became clear to Val. "Don't tell me that you think you're going to use that!" he cried out defiantly, knowing even as the words left his mouth that there wasn't much he could do about it.'m

"Hahahahaha....of course I'm not going to use this," he said, giving the stocks a pat with his free hand. "However, I think these good people could use some entertainment, don't you? " He had leaned back down and was breathing in Valentino's face as he got to the last word. It came out sounding almost like a purr. "So" he said standing back up and grinning down at his captive, "you're going to be using it." With that, Alastor flicked his wrist and then snapped his fingers, and Valentino disappeared from the bundle of shadow tentacles and reappeared already in the stocks, which forced him to lean forward. Alastor looked to Val, his smile still spreading even farther, his face taking on a more sinister appearance. "I trust you are comfortable?" he asked, his voice a mockery of polite discourse. He leaned over to whisper in Valentino's ear "We're going to take care of that, so don't you worry." His smile was still getting creepier by the moment.

"You can't do this!" protested Valentino. "I cooperated, you got all your information." He countered, clearly feeling that he had been cheated. "You have no right!' he accused, his useless hands balled into fists.

"Oh?" Alastor, who had turned towards the crowd of people gathering to see what was going on, spun back around to Valentino. "But I can. Have you forgotten about threatening me in the middle of a public place, and the disgraceful way you treated my date, pawing all over and manhandling Angel as you did? I certainly haven't, my dear, so you may consider this your duly earned comeuppance. You should be thankful," He said, never losing his grin. "There isn't another soul that has ever attempted what you did and lived to tell the tale. I am being very merciful to you, so be a good boy, Valentino, and take your medicine." he said mockingly "Now pay attention, because this concerns you." He turned to face the loosely assembled crowd of onlookers who were brave enough to stop within eyesight of this spectacle.

Alastor raised his microphone and began to address the throng of demons, which was only growing larger by the second. Valentino, immobilized and powerless to escape, looked as though he might pass out from sheer fury. "Ah, my fellow citizens of Pentagram City, I bring to you today a simply splendid respite and most welcome entertainment. Behind me is a demon that I believe most here have had the displeasure of meeting and unfortunately, last night he was a very bad boy." Alastor chuckled as he looked behind himself. The crowd, taking his lead, began to jeer and heckle the pimp. "My my, Val, it doesn't look like you have many friends here. I thought that this was your territory? Oh, my. That is certainly not good for you." Alastor shook his head, exaggerating the motion for the crowd to see.

"In the course of his behavior last night, he attempted to assault my companion for the evening," he paused as the crowd played along, several audible magnified gasps and voices shaming Valentino "then he attempted to threaten myself with a handgun, of all things" his laugh mocking Valentino's actions spurring the crowd on to continue their boo's and jeers. Alastor let them go on for a moment, and then held up his hand to quiet the crowd, who were likely expecting bloodshed at any time; after all, this was the Radio Demon we were talking about! Who would be idiot enough to threaten him?

Alastor cleared his throat to regain control of the crowd before he continued. "So" he said, "I am going to now deal out my judgement upon him." Alastor turned again to face Val, who had faded to several shades more pale than his usual lavender color. "I could pull him apart, or flay his skin from his live body, then cut off all of his limbs, that would be great fun, I admit," Alastor said, his smile only growing more malicious by the second. He trailed a claw down the side of Valentino's cheek, eliciting a shudder and unless his ears deceived him, a whimper from Val. Alastor chuckled darkly, and then turned back to the crowd. "Alas, I have done all of that before and to be honest, it bores me." There was a general murmur from the crowd. "So I want to do things a little differently, I want to put on a grand show for you, the audience." He looked around the crowd, so many faces, and all waiting on edge for him to pronounce sentence upon this slime ball. Alastor smiled even more darkly, realizing that this was the perfect choice.

"I am going to allow you all, the audience, to have your fun with him. As long as you don't mortally wound him, anything is fair game! Hitting, punching, slapping, carnal pleasure, whatever." Alastor proclaimed. There was a hush over the crowd, followed by a great cheer. "Oh my," said Alastor with mock sympathy to Val, "it doesn't look like they care for you at all, darling." He laughed an evil chuckle, Val looking at him as if he could kill him with his eyes. "Oh come now," Alastor chided, "how bad can it be? You get to live, after all."

Alastor picked a fellow from the front of the crowd and pulled him to the post where Valentino was bound and shivering. Alastor could almost smell the fear rolling from him. Alastor gave the man some directions, and then took his leave to return to the hotel. Just before departing he turned to Valentino and bid him farewell, saying "I will be back to release you when I deem that it has been long enough. Don't worry about escape, my dear, that stock is not breakable by any force, physical or magic." He landed a solid smack across Val's ass. "Have fun, my dear!"

"I will kill you for this, you bastard" swore Val

"I do hope you at least try, darling." He called the words over his shoulder and then he was gone, leaving Val alone with the bloodthirsty crowd.


	11. Taking a (Guilt) Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angel needs some time to process all of this.

"So it was all a set up, then?" Angel Dust asked Charlie, both of them looking a little tearful. Charlie softly nodded, as if speaking would cause the dam to burst and she would cry with Angel. 

As for Angel Dust, he wasn't sure how he should feel about this. On the one hand, he knew that he had liked and cared about Al long before all of this, so even if the moon had helped the process along, the result would probably have been the same for him in either instance. He wasn't so sure about Alastor, though. He was sure that he needed out of this room, as it always made him feel as if he was in trouble for something when he was here. After last night and then this morning, he needed time to think and to be on his own, no matter how much he felt like he needed Alastor right now. 

"I'm uh...I'm gonna need some time to think things over about this" he mumbled to Charlie as he stood up to leave. "I think I'll take a walk" Charlie just nodded. There weren't any necessary words at this point. 

Angel made his way out of the hotel, turning to head out of town, where he could walk without running into anyone he knew. He just needed to think this through and figure out what it meant for him...and for Alastor. Jeez, Angel had been thinking about himself, but this wasn't just about him now. Because of Angel, now Alastor had been effectively forced to feel feelings for Angel. As someone who knew all about people doing things with or without consent, Angel was a big believer in consent. He didn't want to take away Alastor's choices, but in a way that was exactly what happened. 

Angel knew he liked Alastor. He liked Alastor a lot and it had been like that basically since the day they met. Sure, at first it was just a physical infatuation, but as time went on he found that he genuinely liked the guy, even if he was a jerk sometimes. Ha, most of the time. Then again, so was Angel, so it worked. He kept walking down the road as it turned from pavement to oil and chip, until he was outside the city limits and near the old pond that was probably part of a home at some point, now the pond the only thing left behind. Homes didn't last long in Hell if nobody was there to take care of 'em. Angel walked across the barren yard, climbing the slight incline and sitting down at the side of the pond bank. 

What was he supposed to do now? The way Charlie talked, there was nothing that they could do to break the curse, and Angel wasn't sure if he even wanted to break the curse, even if he could. Of course, he knew that Alastor probably would if it could be done, but would Alastor resent Angel now that it was all said and done? Angel had been the one to invite him, after all. Angel had also been the one to suggest that they have that dance, the one dance that changed everything. Any way Angel looked at it, this was mostly his own fault. He was the one that decided to take the invitation, against his better judgement, he was the one that invited Alastor to go along, and he was the one that suggested they dance together. There wasn't any part of this that he didn't have a hand in, and it made him feel awful. No, it made him feel guilty, and that was far worse. What was he going to do? 

Angel let himself fall backwards into the tall grass surrounding the pond, enjoying the scratchiness of it. Lying there alone, his mind wandered back to that dance, when everything felt so right. Alastor was leading and Angel was content to glide everywhere on the dance floor with him. The moment had been perfect, Angel looked like a queen and he was dancing with his king, the lighting was so soft and beautiful, Alastor's face had been so tender, his hold had been so secure. Angel could have danced that way forever, had Val not interrupted everything and ruined it. Even the song had been perfect, and at least, Angel thought, at least I can have the memory of it, because that was something he had long given up hope of achieving. 

He sat up and stretched, enjoying the stretch of his muscles. He knew that ready or not, he needed to get back. Alastor had to have returned by now, and they were going to have to sit down and have a serious talk to decide what they were going to do now. Angel decided that it was most fair for Alastor to set the pace and the tone of what they do now. Angel knew that he probably wanted far more from this than Alastor did and he didn't want to force anything else on him. Angel had forced enough onto Alastor's plate already. Standing up, Angel began the walk back to the hotel. It was time to face the music and tackle this head on. He wasn't going to run from the problem. That just wasn't his way, and besides, the need for Alastor was so strong. Even if they decided that they wouldn't be anything more than friends, he needed to be near Alastor and if what Charlie had told him this morning was true, Alastor was probably feeling the same way.


	12. Angel, Come Home!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alastor needs his emotional support spider.

Alastor knocked again, but there was no answer. It was strange for Angel to not answer the door, and Alastor could hear some movement inside, although it could be the pig, he supposed.

"Angel?" he called gently, not certain what Angel's mental state would be. Charlie had spilled the beans by now, he was sure. He wondered if Angel might have gone outside to sit and think? He knocked once more, just for good measure, but there was no response yet again. Alastor decided that if Angel hadn't answered yet it had to be that he wasn't in there. Alastor was feeling a deeply seated need to see Angel, and since they were both in the same boat, he was mostly sure that Angel had to be needing him as well.

At least looking around for Angel would give him some time to think a little more. He had been turning things over in his mind since he had left Valentino to the mercy of the people in the city. Alastor smiled a little wider thinking of all the ways they would find to torture him. He hoped at least a few of them would treat him the way that he has treated others. That would be poetic justice, after all. He wanted Val to hurt for what he had done to Angel, and although he might have been able to blame that feeling on the curse, deep down he already realized that he had felt the same way last night before the dance. Alastor couldn't understand how, or even why, but he knew in his heart that he had already begun to care for Angel long before last night. He just wasn't certain how Angel felt about things. He suspected that Angel cared for him a great deal, but then again, he also suspected that Angel was in some ways still afraid of him, and that would make any relationship a bit strained. Alastor supposed it didn't matter too much at this point, they were bound by this curse now, so regardless, they would have to be near to one another or they would be completely miserable forever, and since they were already dead, forever would be a mighty long time.

Alastor rounded the corner to pass through the kitchen on his way to the back garden. He knew that Angel liked to work in the "flower" garden when he was alone, so it was as good a place as any to see if he could be located. As he walked through the door and onto the back patio, he sighed. No Angel Dust in sight anywhere. Alastor hadn't realized just how much he had been counting on finding Angel in the back yard, but here he was, and here Angel wasn't.

He sat down at the patio table, leaning back in the chair a bit, deciding to just wait it out here and see if Angel shows up soon. If not, he could always track down Charlie and see if she knew where he went. Surely he would have to return home soon to take care of the piggy, right? He leaned his head back and closed his eyes for a moment, thinking about everything that had happened in the last day.

Last night had been a real highlight, up until Valentino burst in and sent it all off the rails, that is. Angel Dust had looked simply stunning last night, and who would have known that he was such a dancer? Alastor adored dancing, and the fact that Angel had that natural rhythm was so delightful! He tried to remember ever dancing when he had enjoyed it more, but there was nothing that could even come close to comparing to the grace of those beautiful moments he had shared with the spider demon. Alastor knew that part of his fondness for the dance might be the effect of the curse, but seeing Angel in that gorgeous ballgown had been long before the dance and even if Alastor didn't like admitting it, he was already head over heels at that point.

Like it or not, he would have fallen for Angel just as hard, given enough time. He knew that Angel was interested, but did Angel really want a relationship with him, the feared Radio Demon? Alastor had been a serial killer in his human life, then after he dropped into hell he had decimated so many demons and overlords that although he hadn't been on a killing spree in decades, demons still gave him a wide berth, even when he was just walking through the city. He acted as though he didn't, but he could always feel the stares and hear the guarded whispers wherever he went. He was still widely feared. Hell's bells, even the day he arrived here, at this hotel, Vaggie had been telling the regaled tales of his conquests to Angel Dust himself! What if Angel didn't want that baggage in his relationships? What if he wasn't interested in a relationship with a killer? Did he feel like he could trust Alastor, when by all accounts he was a bloodthirsty monster?

Alastor sat up, rubbing this forehead between his eyes. He just didn't know what to think, but he knew one thing for certain. He and Angel desperately needed to have a long talk and figure things out so that they had direction. He was still in awe of just how much he missed Angel and how much he simply needed to have him near, especially now. He sighed. Hopefully Angel Dust would arrive back soon from wherever he had gone. In the meantime, Alastor decided that he would just go to his room and try to calmly and patiently wait for his soul mate to return.


	13. What's A Drink Between Friends?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introducing my most amusing Head Cannon.   
> Alastor with hiccups.   
> also drunken Alastor.  
> I'll admit it, this was a chapter of self indulgence.

Alastor had planned to go up to his room, he really had, but as he walked back inside and saw Husker sitting at the bar wiping the already clean glasses, he decided that he didn't want to be alone in his room while he waited. Although Husker would probably be grumbling about being bothered, Alastor decided that he would just wait at the bar for Angel to return.

"Husker, my fellow" called Alastor, making his way across the room, "I'd like a bourbon, please". He took a seat at the bar, sitting at the corner seat and turning his back to lean against the wall as Husker sat the glass down in front of the deer demon.

"So what did you do with the pimp?" growled Husker, "you were gone long enough" He took another slug of the cheap booze he had sitting beside him. Alastor tossed back the shot of bourbon and lightly tapped the rim of the glass, indicating he'd like another.

"Oh, we went for a nice walk downtown." Alastor answered, a malicious smile on his face. "I left him in the company of some...friends" he said, lifting the glass and taking just a sip this time.

"You know what," Husker said gruffly, his eyes wide, "I changed my mind. I don't even wanna fuckin' know, but I hope you killed his ass."

The two demons sat in companionable silence, each sipping away at the liquor in front of them, every once in a while Alastor would indicate that he needed a refill, Husk tossing another shot into the glass the first few times, then just swearing and leaving the bottle on the bar for Alastor to help himself, which he did.

"You celebratin' or something?" Husker asked, eyeing the bottle, now half empty.

"Nope" Alastor answered, lifting his glass in a salute, then downing the whole shot in one gulp, the refilling. "Just having a couple of drinks with a friend." he smiled at his companion, taking another sip.

"yeah. right." said Husker. "Whatever." He wiped the bar down again, stopping to lean on the bar when he was in front of Alastor again, "Don't expect me to carry your drunk ass up the stairs."

"I am not drunk, you lout." complained Alastor. "I've only had three drinks."

"Mmmmhmmmm." said Husker, looking up with just his eyes, "three drinks in the last fifteen minutes, that is." He barked a short laugh. "Five bucks says you have the hiccups in less than thirty minutes, ya lush."

Alastor slid his hand into his back pocket, never one to turn down a good bet. "I'll take that wager" he half-shouted, slapping a five dollar note on the bar. Husker pulled a five out of his pocket and sat it on top of Alastor's, using a salt shaker as a paperweight.

"Alright" he said gruffly. "It's three fifteen now, so we'll see"

"That we shall" said Alastor, downing the rest of his shot. "Ya know somethin' Husker?" Al was beginning to feel the effects of the bourbon, his head felt a little dizzy right behind his eyes, and he was having some difficulty keeping the static to a minimum. Husker was looking at him expectantly, so he continued, "You..are...you're a decent fellow, Husker. I've always liked that about you."

"Oh shit." mumbled Husk. "Here we fuckin' go. You gonna be the philosophical drunkard now, Al?" Husker rolled his eyes and laughed in spite of himself. If he was getting this pickled this quickly, it was going to be a real doozy. It didn't help that Alastor almost never had more than one drink. Even for a demon he was a real lightweight when it came to liquor. Husk knew he should probably cut Alastor off, but how the hell do you cut off an all powerful overlord? Husker damn sure wasn't going to find out today.

"Ha!" exclaimed Alastor, "It's been thirty minutes, hasn't it?" He grinned widely "That means I've won!"

"You dumb ass" complained Husk "It's been fifteen minutes. You still got fifteen minutes to go, princess." He looked pointedly at the liquor bottle. "You done with that now? I would like to put it up." He reached out to take the bottle, but Alastor snatched it away, tucking it into the crook of his arm.

"No," he said, then repeating himself "No, oh ho ho." he filled the shot glass yet again. "This," he said, looking at the shot glass full of liquid "this is mine." Husker noticed that one antler had grown a little longer than the other, giving Alastor a lopsided look.

"Whatever you say, lops." he chuckled, under his breath.

"What was that?" asked Alastor, followed by a quick "hic" and then the sound of radio static and a few random words. Husk sat down to enjoy the show. This shit never got old.

"Here we go, and look" he pointed at the clock "only took ya twenty minutes this time!" Husker laughed as he scooped up the two fives on the counter.

"Wai-hic-*static*-in today's news" Alastor looked positively dumbfounded. "I don't have the-hic-*static*-music countdown" He opened his mouth to say something, but there was only another hiccup, followed by static and this time a snippet of music.

"I think I should sit down" Alastor said, his head in his hands.

"Hey, Jackass," teased Husker "You're already sittin' down."

Alastor looked up at Husker, glowering, and then another hiccup, followed by static and then what sounded like a boxing match. Alastor laid his head on the bar. This was so embarrassing. There was nothing worse than having the hiccups, because each and every single time he would hiccup, it would be followed by static (as if someone was switching channels) and then random snippets of radio noise. Too late, he remembered why he didn't drink often or very much at a time. He needed to get upstairs, but he was not going to be in any shape to do so if he waited too much longer.

"Just the guy I needed to see!" called out a familiar voice coming through the door.

Alastor turned to see Angel Dust walking towards the bar. He sincerely hoped he was done with the hiccups, just as another one happened. Alastor wanted to hide under the bar, but Angel didn't make a joke, he just sighed, then leaned forward to pick up his soulmate, laying a kiss on his forehead.

"C'mon, Al." he said gently. "Let's get you upstairs. I think you have had plenty to drink, doll."

Alastor wasn't sure if he was more embarrassed or relieved to see Angel

Angel wasn't sure if Alastor would be pleased or pissed off about being carried upstairs.

Husk watched the entire scene, mouth hanging open. "What the hell?" he said, taking a large drink of the bourbon before putting the almost empty bottle back up on the shelf. "I think I need stronger booze."


	14. Goodnight, My Deer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angel finally gets Alastor's drunk deer ass to bed.   
> Not like that! Just to sleep.   
> ;)

Getting Alastor up the stairs was difficult, and for all the wrong reasons. Angel had suspected that a drunken Alastor might be interesting to deal with, but to be honest, the biggest problem was that he just would not shut up and sit still.

"Jeez Al," muttered Angel "Can ya knock that off? It's like trying to hold on to sand, hanging on ta you, and I don't wanna drop ya."

"But you're finally back, and you're so "*hic*-static sounds-mariachi music "soft." He was nuzzling into Angel's chest at this point, which was enjoyable, and that was the problem.

"You bein' all handsy ain't helping things, pal" Angel said under his breath. It was true. Angel had a hard enough time trying to respect Alastor's boundaries under normal circumstances, but with Alastor having such lowered inhibitions was making it very difficult for Angel to do the right thing. Sure, he'd love to have the chance to have his way with the red-haired demon, or more truthfully, to let the powerful radio demon have his way with Angel, but not like this. He wanted it to be Alastor's choice, and if there was one thing Angel had a unique understanding of, it was consent. He knew first hand that if you were plastered, even if you agreed, it wasn't really consent if you didn't have full control over your actions.

After what seemed like forever, the couple had finally arrived at Alastor's room, and thankfully his door was not locked. Angel chuckled to himself as he used his boot to push the door open. Alastor didn't need to lock his door because you'd have to be a special kind of stupid to try snooping around his room. It didn't matter if the door was open, if he wasn't in there, you didn't go in. Somehow, he always knew. Angel didn't know how Alastor knew, but he always knew.

Angel gently sat Alastor up on the side of the bed, pulling his feet and legs to rest on the bed as well, since Alastor was only just hanging on to consciousness by a thin thread. He slipped the shoes from Al's feet and set them beside the door, just as Alastor would have, then he pulled the covers up over the heavily intoxicated deer demon and left him momentarily, returning with a glass of water that he sat on the tidy nightstand beside the bed. Poor drunk bastard would be wanting that water when he woke up with what Angel assumed would be a killer hangover. Knowing Alastor, he hadn't even bothered to eat since this morning.

Angel gave one last long look at the radio demon, who looked so peaceful lying there with the covers pulled up to his chin, just the faintest hint of white noise emanating from him. Angel felt a rush of emotions wash over him, whether it was his own heart or the effects of the soul-knitting, he couldn't say, but he knew one thing for certain, this demon was his other half now and although it hadn't happened in a way that he might have preferred, he wouldn't change it now on his own account. He and Alastor really needed some private time together to talk this thing out and figure out what to do now. Things would have to change somewhat, because they couldn't remain exactly as they were, that he was certain of. He leaned over the bed, feathering a gentle kiss to the forehead of his soulmate, whispering "get some rest now and I'll see you in the morning." As he turned to leave, an arm snatched him from behind, pulling him quickly backwards into the bed. Angel was completely taken by surprise and let out a small gasp as he landed with his back to the sleepy deer demon.

"A-Al?" he questioned "what are you doing, buddy?"

Alastor's sleepy whisper shushed Angel's questions. "Please just stay here with me tonight, cher. I don't wanna be alone again."

Angel felt a strong arm slide over his side, pulling him close to the warmth of the other body in the bed. He might have been a bit taller than the other, but he was the little spoon for now, and that served him just fine. He snuggled into Alastor's embrace, realizing that he didn't really want to be alone this evening himself. For once in his after life, Angel felt at ease when he snuggled up close to Alastor, feeling the gentle breath on his neck.

"Goodnight, my deer."

"Night, my Angel."

Alastor awoke to a throbbing head and a second body snuggled up to his back. He quickly shot a glance around the room, taking silent stock of the situation. This was his room at the hotel. Good, he knew where he was. He noticed that nothing seemed out of place, besides the glass of water on the nightstand. He picked it up and gratefully drained the contents, wiping his mouth and setting it back down. He didn't remember putting it there, but he was certainly glad he had. He felt dehydrated and the booming in his head grew fiercer as he slowly sat up, trying to not disturb the sleeping fuzzy body next to him. Rubbing his aching head, he glanced down, confirming his suspicions that this was Angel Dust, but why was Angel in his bed?

Alastor sat a minute, thinking back to last night and realizing that he didn't remember coming to his room. The last real memory he had was at the bar with Husker, waiting for Angel. The rest were bits and pieces of what might have been memories, or might have just been dreams, he really wasn't sure.

Slowly he put the pieces together. He had been drinking with Husker, so he must have had too much. Well, he supposed that the liquor had tasted awfully good, although he hadn't ever been much of a drinker before. Perhaps this was also a side effect of the curse? Although Alastor hadn't been a big drinker, the demon snoozing peacefully next to him had certainly been and was. Perhaps that had been why he craved the booze? He gently rubbed his pounding head. He wished that he had also gained the ability to not have such a hangover. Apparently, that was asking too much.

He stared at Angel Dust sleeping in his bed. Had they perhaps? No, he thought with a blush. They wouldn't have, would they? Angel wouldn't have taken advantage of him that way. He was sure of it. He was still in his clothes, after all, and so was Angel Dust, for that matter. Alastor heaved a sigh of relief. He knew that he loved Angel Dust, and that he had been feeling that way even before the dance, but he wasn't ready for that kind of thing yet and wasn't entirely certain that he ever would be. Truth be told, Alastor had never felt a physical need for the more carnal aspects of a relationship and didn't know if that would change or not. He simply knew that even if things changed on that front, now was not the time. He simply wasn't ready for that.

So why was Angel in his bed? Perhaps Angel was missing his presence as much as Alastor had missed Angel's? He reached out, gently stroking the fur covering Angel's cheek, then pulling his claws lightly through the spider's mussed up hair, smoothing it as he did. The softness of Angel's fur never ceased to amaze Alastor, whose hair was thicker and almost wiry in places. Angel's fur, by contrast, was incredibly fine and soft, like that of a rabbit. He marveled at how shiny it was, and how had he never noticed that before? He leaned forward, laying a light and chaste peck on Angel's forehead, then stood up carefully, so as not to disturb the sleepyhead as Alastor excused himself to wash up and change his clothes.


	15. The Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ever wonder if Radio Demons have hangovers? Find out in this chapter.  
> Also,   
> first date (kinda)  
> Charlie has overjoy  
> Husk is disgusted  
> Niffty is confused.

It was fully noon before Angel Dust emerged from his room. He had awoken around 10:30, but by the time that he had bathed (and dried, no small task) gotten dressed and gathered up Nuggets, who was very ready for his walk, a lot of time had passed. He had the little porker on his bright pink leash and was slowly descending the stairs while checking in on his social media accounts on his phone when he managed to pass Alastor, who was going up the stairs.

"Good afternoon, my dear" crooned Alastor cheerfully, only the tightness of his eyes betraying the incredible headache.

"Well good afternoon to you, hot stuff" Angel answered playfully. "How's the head feelin' sweetheart?" he said in an almost whisper, as he pretended to dust off the other's shoulder.

"I can honestly say it's felt better, darling." He mumbled in reply with a slight wince. "I assume that you helped me to get to my room last evening?" Alastor's bright crimson eyes were locked with Angel's as he inquired.

"Sure did, toots." Angel smiled.

"I thank you for the assistance. I apologize," he said, a slight blush creeping into his face, "it appears that I may have overestimated my limits with the bourbon." He looked back to Angel's face "I hope I wasn't too much trouble."

"Honey," laughed Angel "You were no trouble at all, ya big goof." He patted Alastor on the shoulder, noticing that he no longer seemed to recoil even slightly from Angel's touch. That certainly was progress. "Got any big lunch plans?" asked Angel, brightly.

"I was hoping to catch up with a close friend over lunch today. I haven't had much luck in getting them alone for a few minutes these last couple days." He smiled at Angel, who seemed disappointed.

"Oh." He said, the regret etched into his voice as he looked down. He was going to have to get moving soon, Fat Nuggets was getting restless and soon would be squealing instead of the quiet grunting he was doing now.

"So," asked Alastor gently, lifting Angel Dust's chin with his left hand, "Are you free for lunch today? I think we are both overdue for some time to talk things over"

Angel's face brightened up as the realization set in. "For you," he said with a grin, "anything. But I do need to walk Nuggets first."

"It's agreed then." Said Alastor, looking very satisfied. "how about if we meet downstairs in about 45 minutes? Will that be long enough, doll?" Angel just nodded, his smile had only grown larger. "I do love that smile. You should smile more often, love. It suits you." And with that, he continued his way up the staircase, as Angel made his way, bemused, to the back garden to let Nuggets have his run.

Alastor had made good use of the 45 minutes that he had before needing to meet Angel Dust downstairs. He wanted to have some time with Angel away from anyone else that might distract them, so he decided that it might be best to try doing something a little different for lunch. Instead of trying to have whet needed to be a somewhat private conversation in the midst of a crowded diner or other establishment, Alastor quickly decided that a different route would be in order. He tossed a few things into a bag and did a quick cleanup and was soon on his way to the ground level of the hotel to meet up. It was almost as if Angel was as ready to carve out some private time as Alastor was. When Alastor made his way down the stairs with the small bag tucked under his arm, Angel was already waiting for him, sitting in Alastor's favorite chair by the fireplace. If there had been anyone else sitting in his chair, he would have said something, but strangely enough, it didn't bother him that Angel was sitting in it. He supposed that might be because they were both sharing parts of their souls. He decided to not think about it too much, just accept things as they are. That would make it easiest, right?

"Are we ready to depart, then, my dear?" asked Alastor, offering his elbow for Angel's elegant hand.

"Why yes," answered Angel, smiling almost wide as his companion, "I do believe we are ready." With that he placed his left hands on the offered arm and they both strolled out the door together.

"Aaaaaaw!" said Charlie, as she had been peeking into the room and watched the whole scene unfold. "So sweet!" she exclaimed, clasping her hands in the middle of her chest.

"They need to just get a room already." Grumbled Husker, rolling his eyes and taking another gulp of his cheap booze.

"But they already have rooms?" said Nifty, as she stopped dusting for a moment and looked confusedly at Husker, who sighed and walked into the back. "Why would they need more rooms?" Nifty questioned, chasing after Husker.


	16. Let's Do Lunch!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Does that chapter title give anyone else flashbacks from Sunset Blvd?  
> details of the date  
> maybe a first kiss?

Angel Dust looked around, trying to gauge where they were headed to, he hadn't really been to this side of Pentagram City very often, perhaps once or twice with Val, but even then, it had been a pass through on the way to somewhere else. He was sure he would have remembered if they had stopped anywhere, as there weren't quite as many buildings, and although everything still had the same dull red tint to it, there was actually honest to goodness forest here.

These trees were not massive, they were dwarfed quite a lot from what he could remember from his living days, but they were trees nonetheless, and he was enjoying the sight of them. Alastor seemed quite content to lead the way, and they were walking, so Angel was sure that they wouldn't be going too far or there would have been a car involved. Sure enough, he was being led from the roadway and down a path that gently sloped off at an angle and uphill just a bit. After walking a short distance, Angel discovered that they were on a bluff and as he looked out, he could see that the wilderness went on for as far as he could see.

"What's out there, Al?" he questioned, gesturing with his top right arm to the vast expanse laid out before them.

"There is nothing there." Came the answer, softly. "I mean, nothing there. Not even what you think you see. It's all illusion. Down there is the outer edge of this circle of hell. It just looks like that because there is a glamour placed on it." He gently shrugged as he grinned. "Aesthetics, I suppose."

"Well Whadaya know." Answered Angel, still in awe of it, even if it was an illusion. "A hell with a view" He chuckled, all four hands on his hips. Alastor did as well.

"Yes," he grinned, "exactly."

He sat the bag down and reached inside, producing a soft picnic blanket and as he unpacked the basket there were a few different breads and chunks of cheese, along with some water. "I hope you don't mind that I didn't bring wine instead. I thought in light of last night's events, vino might be a bad idea." He smiled ruefully at his companion, who fought, and lost, to stifle a giggle at his expense.

"Oh Al, you goof." He laughed. "water is actually just fine. Sounds good, as a matter of fact."

As the two were busy making their light lunch, they began to talk of little things, then worked into the more serious, as in how they were going to manage their lives now and what did this curse mean for them individually and together.

"How do you feel about all of this, Alastor?" Angel inquired, nibbling on a bit of gouda. He knew how he felt, but Alastor was still a mystery to him a lot of the time.

"Well," he began, "I'm still not completely used to the idea, to be honest, but" he said, returning his gaze to Angel, who was now looking at his lap. "I will admit that the whole business is growing on me."

Angel looked up to see a pair of red eyes that seemed to gaze right though him. "What's that mean, exactly? What do you think of when you think about our future? How do you see me...for that matter, how do you see us?" Angel asked, feeling apprehensive about hearing the answers. This whole situation was so hard, so complicated. Why did everything have to be this way? Even his living days had been this way, full of complications and caveats. Couldn't things ever go smoothly for once?

"I honestly don't know yet." Answered Alastor, sounding defeated. "I can't know, can I? Not until I know how you feel about things." Alastor touched Angel's hands, "How do you feel about all of this?" he asked gently.

Angel sighed. He knew that honesty would be best, but he didn't want to frighten Alastor away, either.

"Listen," he said, feeling to vulnerable to look Alastor in the eyes, so he looked at his chest instead. "I'm sure you knew from the start that I liked you, as in, liked you, liked you. I didn't exactly make it a secret. Hell, the first words I spoke to you were a proposition!" he laughed nervously before continuing, "and even though anybody would think that I should be over the moon now, I'm really not." Angel's voice cracked a bit, so he stopped for a moment to breathe and regain his composure. Damn, this was so hard! "If you're asking me how I feel," he chanced a look into Alastor's eyes, and even then, he could feel a tear already sliding down his face. "The only answer I can really give you is that I feel guilty. I feel like I managed to take away your choices and that makes me feel like shit. I don't want you feeling like you must stay with me just because of this curse. It's my fault that all of this happened, and I feel terrible about it." Angel broke off with that, and laid back on the blanket, turning his body away from Alastor and trying to get his emotions under control. He knew that everything he'd said was true but saying it didn't make him feel better and he didn't understand why.

He could hear Alastor moving around, then he felt him curl up behind Angel's back, sliding his arms around Angel, and laying his head between Angel's shoulder blades. He didn't say a word, he just let Angel have his cry for a while, until the tears slowed down, and Angel Dust turned back over to face Alastor. There were so many things that Angel wanted to say, but in the end, he just couldn't find the words. Alastor must have sensed as much as he looked up to see Angel's puffy eyes.

"Can I ask you something, Angel, about what you said a minute ago?"

Angel nodded, not trusting his voice to not betray him, again.

"How is this all your fault?" he asked. "I just can't seem to figure that part out. Can you explain it to me?"

Angel told Alastor about all the things he had thought about yesterday. How he had been the one to ask Alastor to go to the dance with him, and how he had been the one to suggest dancing, how the song was important to him, and why. Alastor patiently listened, making certain that he didn't interrupt. Once Angel seemed to run out of words, Alastor asked if there was anything else.

"No, Al, I think that's all of it." He said.

"Well, then." Said Alastor, sounding as if he had decided. Angel wasn't certain if he could stand to look at him or not, but the choice was taken from him as two hands gently lifted his face to his companion's face.

"This is not your fault, my dear." He said gently. Angel opened his mouth to disagree but was promptly shushed. "No, listen to me, cher. It isn't your fault. Let me explain." Angel remained silent but nodded for Alastor to continue. "When it comes to me attending the ball," he said gently, "I was invited as well, remember?" Angel nodded. "When I came to your room the day that you were looking through your closet? I came to see if you would accompany me, darling." Angel stared in disbelief, could that be true?

"That night at the dance, when you suggested dancing?" Again, Angel nodded for him to continue. "I knew I wanted to dance with you, and likely would have asked you anyway, and as for the song? Oh, my dear, it has always been one of my most treasured memories, and the fact that I got to share that dance with you, no matter how ill-fated it might seem, I will treasure that as well." Angel was in silent shock, attempting to process everything that he had just heard.

"The truth is, my darling Angel, that I think I fell for you long before we shared that dance. If I hadn't already, I was well on my way." With that, Alastor leaned forward, brushing his lips across Angel's, and finding that after a moment of shock, the kiss was returned, just as fervently as it had been delivered.


	17. Tit For Tat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just two sweet boys working out the details.

Angel sat upright on the blanket as it dawned on him that he hadn't heard how Alastor felt about this whole curse business. They still needed to figure out how to deal with this, how were they going to manage, what exactly were they to one another now? Obviously they were soulmates, but were they more than that, or what exactly? Alastor had also sat up, at least partially, he was leaning on one elbow while lying back and turned towards Angel Dust. Although he was still grinning, as always, Angel was sure that he was thinking through things, he could just tell by the expression in Al's eyes. Angel was the first to break the silence that had fallen between them. 

"So, uh, Al," he stammered out awkwardly, "what are your feelings on all of this? Do you have any ideas on how we can make this work, or what do you plan to do?" Alastor had been looking down at his hands but as Angel finished speaking, he glanced up, still smiling, of course. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, looking as if he were trying to find the right words. 

"I know that when we are apart it is, no pun intended, hell for me. I assume it's the same for you. I don't see how we could manage to go on as we had before all of this happened. "Then again", he said with a heavy sigh "I don't know that you have thought about who I am, what I've done, you know, all the things that are important to know going in." Alastor's eyes had a shinier look about them, making them sparkle in the light, but Angel knew that it was because he was tearing up, even if the other demon wouldn't admit it. 

"I mean," Alastor sat up, facing Angel, "I know I told you I gutted my father when I was alive, but I also killed him for good once I got here" he said, gesturing with his left hand. Angel nodded, he could handle that, especially if Al's dad was anything like his own. 

"Given the circumstances," interrupted Angel, "I think that was probably warranted." 

Alastor shrugged. "Alright, but then I went on to become a serial killer while I was alive." 

Angel shook his head. "I used to do hits for my old man. Me and my brother, so I got no room to judge." he looked away as he said the last part. He didn't like to think about the things that he had to do for his dad, but he had done them all the same.

Alastor snorted. "Not the same thing, my dear, but alright." He took a long drink of water. "I also raised quite the ruckus once I got here, you know." 

Angel grimaced. "I can't top that one, smiles, but seeing as I already knew that, like I said," he picked up Alastor's hand "I ain't here to judge ya. Don't bother bringing up the overlords you killed, 'cause I already know that too. Besides, I killed a few of them myself."

Alastor looked up at Angel in surprise. Angel refused to break the gaze between them. 

"Dammit, Angel," Alastor was becoming visibly shaken, and although he was still smiling from ear to ear, it didn't reach his eyes. "Why aren't you afraid to be near me? Aren't you scared that I could wipe you out at any time, even for no reason at all? It isn't as if I haven't done it to others and I don't even feel bad for it. Aren't you even a little afraid?" Alastor was standing over him now, and although it was outside of Angel's comfort zone, he wasn't afraid. 

"Nah." said Angel, not breaking eye contact with the Radio Demon staring down at him. "I ain't scared of you at all, because you won't hurt me. I know it."

Alastor threw both hands up in the air, a loud snort following as he turned away from Angel Dust. "And just how do you know that? How can you trust that I won't kill you too?" Angel stood up, slowly approaching the red demon and walking around him so that he could stand toe to toe and face him. 

"That's easy, babe." he said, laying a hand on the other demon's shoulder. "I trust you because I know that you love me just like I love you." Alastor looked away. Unfazed, Angel continued, "You might not admit it to me yet, maybe not even to yourself," he said gently, "but you do, and you know it." Angel waited a moment to let the words sink in. "All that other stuff?" Angel made a dismissive wave. "Forget all that. It don't bother me. 'sides, if you can love the biggest slut in the city, I think I can love the biggest murderer, right?" 

Alastor laughed and pulled Angel into a tight hug. "Do you realize that you have no sense of self-preservation?"

"I mighta heard that before," laughed Angel. 

"So" said Alastor, "if you want to know what I think," Angel nodded mutely. "I think we should just take things slow. We can court, if you like, but we need to know each other before we make any big decisions, at least that's what I think."

"I think I can live with that." agreed Angel. In his mind, anything beats a solid no. "Besides," said Angel, "It ain't like we can undo this curse, I guess," he thought for a moment then continued, "It really ain't like I want to anyhow. Like I said, I had already fallen for you, even before the dance." 

"Likewise, my dear" agreed Alastor. "Shall we return before our compatriots send out a search party?" Angel nodded, and they both began to gather things up to leave, then make the walk back to the hotel, then Angel stopped and spoke.

"Hey, um, Smiles?" he said, as if he had just thought of something. 

"Yes, darling?" 

"Just what did you do with Val yesterday?" Angel asked over his shoulder.

"Oh, that?" he answered with a malicious grin. "I'll show you on the way back, if you like."


	18. Uncertainty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just when Angel was beginning to feel secure...

"You didn't!" laughed Angel Dust as they approached the pillory where Valentino was still trapped. True to Alastor's word, there was no way for the overlord to escape. He was still trapped there, exactly the same as when Alastor had left him the afternoon prior.

Val himself had seen better days. His signature hat and sunglasses were missing, as well as his coat. The remnants of his fabulous red coat were still clinging to his arms, but it was otherwise missing. He looked as if the citizens of this part of town had taken full advantage of his predicament and dispensed plenty of schoolyard justice, judging by the cuts, scratches, gouges and bruises covering what could be seen of his body. It looked as if he might have suffered some broken bones, which had healed up already, of course, but since they hadn't been set he would have to get them re-broken to make them heal properly. Since most of his clothes were missing, Angel guessed that he had been physically used as well, which would have bothered Angel Dust more if he could have counted the amount of times Val had done the same or even worse to him over the years. Angel Dust didn't feel sorry for his former boss, not in the least. After what he had done to them and to Alastor at the ball, he was lucky to be in this hell instead of the next one. Angel was concerned, though, that Val would take his anger out on the people that had exacted this justice on him. He leaned over and whispered something in Alastor's ear, too quietly for anyone else to hear, but Alastor nodded to his partner that he had understood the message.

"Ah, Valentino, my good friend!" Alastor called out, approaching the pimp as an old friend, his voice cheerful and light, his grin giving away the malice behind the words."How are you this fine afternoon?"

"Fuck you," spat Valentino, "I'll kill you when I get out of this thing." he swore at Alastor.

"I'm certain you would try." Smiled Alastor, ignoring the insults. "But what if you never get out of this thing?" he added quietly. "I might just decide to leave you here." He leaned over, his head tilting and his eyes changing. The air around them became charged with a dark static as Alastor's antlers began to lenthen slightly. "Perhaps forever."

Valentino began to lose his nerve and fidget, still trying to work his way out of his predicament. "Let me out of this you bastard!" Valentino half yelled and half begged.

"Perhaps we can come to an...agreement?" Alastor said, returning to his normal self. "What can you offer me, my good fellow?"

"Whatever you want." grunted Valentino, "Just name your price."

"What I want?" questioned Alastor. "Whatever could you have that I would want?" He turned to walk away, holding his arm out for Angel to accompany him. "You'll have to do better than that." he called out over his shoulder as he was leaving.

"But how the hell can I do better than whatever you want?!?" demanded Valentino, his voice beginning to crack. Alastor turned to face him once more, stopping where he stood.

"That's your problem, little man. Not mine." He resumed his walk, Angel strolling along beside him, leaving Valentino once more at the crowd's mercy.

Arriving back at the hotel the two split up to complete their respective duties. Although Angel technically had today off, he still needed to let Nuggets out again and he planned to assist Alastor in making tonight's dinner for everyone. There was a sense of calm that had descended over the hotel, it was as if the two getting things out in the open with one another solved a lot of the stress that had been building between them.

After dinner was over, Charlie called the two of them out to the back garden to discuss "things" with them, as she had put it. Once Alastor and Angel were seated at the table with her, she began.

"We all know what the situation is here, and since this was exactly what I feared it might be, I called in an outside expert for the situation." By the look on her face Angel just knew that he wasn't going to like this expert.

"Oh yeah?" said Angel, trying to play it cool, "I thought that the curse couldn't be broken? What good will an expert do?" Alastor sat idle, his hand under his chin as he listened.

Charlie let out a long sigh. "It's Vox." she said reluctantly.

"Oh fuck me." cried Angel. "You have got to be kidding. He was part of the set up that got us into this. How do you figure to trust him?" Angel crossed his arms and looked away into the side of the back yard. Alastor still remained silent, his fist still sitting just under his chin, smiling as always, but not looking happy in the least.

"I know." sighed Charlie, looking down. "I know. Beleive me, he isn't my first choice either, but he does have knowlege of something that might work to break the curse, but there's a catch." She waited for Angel to look back to her face before continuing. It'll be two months before we can try." she grimaced on the last word, then quickly added "if you want to try, that is. You don't have to, and there's no guarantee that it will work even if you do try, but there is the option."

Alastor hadn't said a word, and that was beginning to worry Angel Dust more than just a bit. He wished that they could go back to the way they felt when they were alone earlier in the wood. Things had felt right then, and now everything was wrong. Angel realized that he needed to get away, by himself. He stood up, excused himself, then bolted upstairs to his room. Once inside he fell directly into his bed, lying on his stomach and sobbing. He didn't know what he should do, on the one hand, he loved Alastor and had fallen for him before this whole dance business. On the other hand, if Alastor chose him just because of this moon stuff, how could he trust that Alastor truly loved him and wasn't just influenced by some curse? What if Alastor grew to resent Angel Dust? He was nothing to be excited about, just a sex worker, and who would want that?

As he heard Fat Nuggets snuggle down in his little bed on the floor, Angel curled up into a ball and cried. He felt so alone and wanted Alastor so desperately, but he was sure Alastor would need some time to think as well, and who wants a clingy boyfriend anyway?

Hell, thought Angel. I need a damn drink.


	19. Zwei Schritte Vor, Dreizehn Zuruck!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Extra points if you understand how the title fits.

Alastor had stayed behind when Angel left because he wanted to give the other a little time to figure out how he felt. Alastor knew what he wanted, but it wasn't all about him, at least not this time. Whatever Angel decided to do in the end, Alastor wanted it to be Angel's decision, not something he felt forced into by Alastor. This new bit of information should have made them both have hope but in the end it felt more like they had taken two steps forward and thirteen back. Honestly, they were back to square one, not knowing what each other felt and afraid to ask.

As the twilight of early evening set in, Alastor found his way to the roof once more, taking up his usual place beside the chimney. He liked being able to observe things without being noticed, and honestly, he figured that he could use some time alone to think things through. Today had been a whirlwind of emotions, and it was beyond time for him to think more rationally, less emotionally.

Since he had remained behind when Angel hastily departed this afternoon, he was able to ask some questions to which Charlie didn't have a lot of information, but at least she was able to fill in some of the blanks. In theory (although no one had ever done so, to Alastor's knowledge) it was possible to break the curse if the couple involved were to recreate exactly the dance they had previously. Charlie said that this was the only way to break the magic of the blood moon curse. Alastor should have been pleased to hear this news, but for some reason, it only made him feel more melancholy. He had begun to acclimate to the feelings of warmth he had for the spider demon. Alastor had begun to realize that he liked having someone to share things with, to feel close to. Never before had he experienced this type of intimacy with anyone, and although it frightened him at times with its potency, he found that he didn't want it to go away.

Angel Dust woke up with a pounding headache, and the knocking on his door wasn't really helping the situation out much. He sat up slowly, calling out for whoever was at the door to wait a damn minute until he could get there. Maybe that would make the insistent knocking stop.

It wasn't too much of a surprise when he opened the door to a demon clad in red. Angel Dust had somewhat expected Alastor to stop by at some point this evening. He knew first hand how much the emptiness nagged him when they were separated. He decided that this soulmate business was both blessing and curse. He enjoyed the fact that Alastor spent more time with him, but he hated the intensity of the loneliness when they were parted. Maybe in time he could find a way to manage better.

Usually Angel would have plenty of witty things to say, but he wasn't feeling it right now. A weak "hey" was all he managed, as he left the door open and walked back to his bed, taking a seat on the side and rubbing his aching head.

Alastor stepped into the dimly lit room, unsure, really, of where to sit. He would prefer to sit next to Angel, but wanted to respect the other's space as well. He decided to stand for now and play this by ear. Hopefully Angel would give him some kind of sign of what he preferred.

"So, ah, Angel?" Alastor was too nervous, and he was not ever nervous. "I was hoping that we could, erm, well, talk about today." Angel ran his hand through the mussed up fluff on his head, looking weary and perhaps a bit depressed.

"I guess that'd be a good idea." he mumbled, looking at the floor. Angel looked back up to Alastor "You wanna sit down? Probably won't be a short talk." Angel had gestured to the foot of his bed. "I don't really have anything else to sit on, I don't get much company here." 

Alastor crossed the room and sat down next to Angel Dust on the bed, leaving a little room between them so as to not make the other uncomfortable. It seemed that neither of them could think of how to start this conversation, they were both looking towards the floor, and the awkward vibe in the air was palpable.

"So," Angel was the first to speak. "about what Charlie said?" He wasn't sure how to approach the subject, so he did what he'd always done best. It was time to just rip off the band aid. "How do you feel about it, Al?"

Alastor leaned back and sighed, rubbing his eyes. It was strange to see the display of frustration coupled with that shit eating grin of his. Angel smiled in spite of himself.

"I'm not completely sure how I should feel about it." he answered simply.

"I understand," mumbled Angel, "But not exactly helpful."

"It's frustrating to think that after we managed to make some peace with the idea that now everything has changed." continued Alastor, speaking as if he was choosing words carefully to ensure clarity. "And I can't help but wonder why Vox, of anyone, would divulge this information to Charlie, unless there is something that he isn't telling us."

Angel crossed his arms, thinking. "You know," he answered, "I hadn't considered that, but you have a damn good point." The two sat for a few moments in quiet contemplation.

Alastor spoke again, laying a hand on Angel's shoulder. "Did anything that Charlie said change your mind about anything we discussed today?"

Angel was nervous about being put on the spot. How should he answer this? Was Alastor hinting that he wanted to change things if he could, or was he simply wanting to know how Angel felt? It was difficult to tell, since before today they hadn't had too many long conversations. Angel knew that he was going to be leaving himself wide open, but he couldn't find it in himself to be less than honest.

"Al," he said, returning a gentle gaze, "I told you already, I liked you before all of this." He slowly reached towards his companion, gently laying his hand on top of Alastor's. "Nothing Charlie could say will ever change that."

Alastor returned Angel's gaze, and wrapping his claws around Angels, he answered, "My feelings haven't changed either, my dear. I simply need to know that we are both in agreement." The two shared a moment together embracing, Angel already feeling the tear that escaped from his eye, and wiping it away before it might be seen.

Alastor chuckled darkly. "But I still want to know what that walking picture tube is up to." His eyes looking as sinister as his smile.

"So are you saying you want to make a plan, Bambi?" Angel cocked one eyebrow up

Alastor laughed at the impertinence of his partner. "I think I do, my Angel. I think I do.


	20. Side Effects

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some freaky shit is going down and the boys aren't sure how to handle it.

Alastor and Angel Dust were walking towards the radio tower, as Alastor was scheduled for his regular show. For Angel, he had agreed that there wouldn't be a "special guest" star this week, since that had been the only way to get Angel to agree. The spider had killed before, but generally he preferred to have a reason, unlike his soulmate who had no such requirement.

Arriving at the tower, Angel strolled up to the door and let them both in, but not before Alastor had shouted a panicked "Angel, wait!"

Angel stood in the doorway, shocked by the panicked tone in Al's voice, and the pained smile on Alastor's face. The second demon had stopped midway to grabbing Angel to jerk him clear of the door, but he had frozen, a confused look on his grinning countenance.

"I...don't understand?" The red demon said softly to himself. "Nothing happened when you opened the door?"

Angel could see that there must have been a security measure in place that had failed to activate, but he had no idea about why. He gently shrugged his shoulders in an I dunno gesture. "Can I go in now, Smiles?" He said, his normal snark sounding through. Alastor waved him on, still appearing to be in deep thought.

After arriving into a small mudroom, Alastor turned to check on his "security system", which honestly looked like a cross between something from a freaky game show and a medieval castle. One thing was certain, it was set to go off at the slightest provocation, and if it had gone off, although it wouldn't have sent Angel to his second death, it would have hurt like all hell when it shredded through him.

"I'm guessing ya don't get much company, eh?" Angel said, a chill running down his spine.

"Not many", the other answered thoughtfully, the snorted "even fewer repeat guests."

"Can't imagine why." Deadpanned Angel. "So I'm going out on a limb here and guessing that you generally come in a different way?" Asked the spider demon, pointedly eyeballing the strange mechanism around the door.

"Ah, no, actually". Answered Alastor, with a distracted tone, as if he was still thinking. "The device won't activate if it's me", he said. "It's enchanted to react to things that are not me" he said thoughtfully. "Which is why I wonder, why didn't it activate?"

Angel swallowed hard, understanding the panicked look on Alastor's face earlier. "No offense ", Angel said, "but I'm kinda glad it didn't work."

The two made their way into the basement, where Alastor's "studio" was located. It was, by most appearances, an ordinary basement, save for the broadcast equipment and the other equipment, Angel assumed that the tools and various other things gathered there were for the use of the radio demon's esteemed 'guests'. Angel was suddenly both glad and disappointed at the same time that those implements of torture wouldn't have a victim tonight. He couldn't understand why he felt an urge to see them in use, but to his shame, he did get an excited feeling when he saw the leftover spatters of blood and viscera remaining there. He looked away, mumbling under his breath.

Alastor paid him no mind as he quickly got everything set up for his broadcast, which tonight would be a repeat. He pulled a recorded show from one of the many shelves on the other side of the room, setting about to get it running. He called out over his shoulder for Angel to "just have a seat anywhere" and the more Angel saw of this place, the more he was disturbed by his reactions to it. He could feel himself beginning to panic, the room feeling suddenly too small, too stagnant. He needed to be outside, where he could breathe. As he opened his mouth to tell Alastor that he was going to be outside a moment, he realized that he was already outside, standing next to the tower!

"What the everlasting fuck?" Angel said to himself, not understanding how he got there. Did Alastor somehow teleport him to the outside? It had felt an awful lot like when he had teleported everyone after the ball.

In a flash, Alastor was there with Angel, and looking equal parts confused and concerned. "You never told me that you could do that, Angel!" He was clearly not unhappy, but Angel could see even with the smile, he had been worried.

"I can't do that! Are you fucking kidding?" Angel fired back, not realizing how upset he was until the words were out of his mouth. He looked into Alastor's face, "I'm worked up and that came out wrong." The white demon apologized. "I haven't ever before done that." He said more calmly, although the shock and emotion was still raw in his voice. "Al?" He questioned, "what's going on with me?"


	21. Short Straws

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alastor tries something new, and solves a mystery

Alastor turned, walking again to the other side of the room. He'd been pacing and thinking for a good while now, trying to make sense of today. Angel was sitting in Alastor's "reading chair" as he called it, cuddling his pig and thinking aloud, while Alastor had been busy pacing. He couldn't stand the torture of trying to sit down while he was racking his brain for clues of just what was going on. How the devil had Angel picked up this new ability? It wasn't as if there were many in hell that could teleport as Alastor did, and honestly, the deer demon had assumed that he was the only one that could do it, as it relied heavily on his shadow's connection to his own voodoo roots. Angel hadn't any connection to the Loa, and he had never even practiced hoodoo, let alone voodoo. It simply didn't add up and there had to be something that he was missing.

Alastor stopped pacing for a moment as an urge for some bourbon hit him all at once. He was frustrated and at his wits' end. Perhaps a drink might help him to relax a little and unwind enough to figure this out. He peeked at Angel Dust, who was busy blowing raspberries into the belly of his piglet. This picture made Alastor's smile a bit more genuine. He was certain that Angel had no idea of just how adorable he was when he coddled the little pig.

"Angel" he said gently, "I believe I am going downstairs for a bit. I will return soon." Angel nodded in his direction, as he continued to spoil the pig, now holding the pig in his lower hands and rubbing its belly with his upper hands while he blabbered all types of baby talk to the little oinker. "I'll be back soon" he called out, then he teleported himself to the bar, causing Husker's fur to rise as he even gave a tiny hiss.

"Can ya try to not startle the shit outta me?" he complained, embarrassed to have been spooked. "what the hell do you want?" he asked, his back turned as he placed a bottle back on the shelf behind the bar.

"I'd like a bourbon, if you please!" called out Alastor, sounding much more cheerful than he felt.

Husker eyed him suspiciously as he grabbed the bourbon and a glass for his patron. "Should I just leave the bottle here again?" he queried, giving the red demon the side-eye.

"Perhaps for a moment, yes" Alastor answered, more to get a rise out of the old bartender than anything. He had no intentions of getting sloppy drunk again. He had embarrassed himself enough for a bit with that last fiasco, and besides, he loathed those damn hiccups. So embarrassing!

Alastor poured himself a glass, taking just a sip this time, and enjoying the burn of the whisky as it made its way down his throat. He kept turning the events over in his head, but the only thought his head could manage to keep a grasp on was Angel Dust. He kept trying to figure out this puzzle, but his mind wanted to think about how lovely those mismatched eyes were, how impossibly soft his fur was, how delectable he smelled. Alastor found himself hungering for Angel Dust, for his touch, for his scent, just to feel his warmth.

What was going on? It wasn't like Alastor to think of anyone in that way, and certainly not the lewd thoughts he'd just been having. He took a gulp of his bourbon, but in his mind, he was thinking about what Angel would look like under the suit jacket and miniskirt. STOP IT! He shook his head, hoping that would help to clear things up.

He looked at the bottle, noting that he had already had three shots of whisky, and decided that this was enough. If he sat here any longer, he would end up stinking drunk again, and he was not about to make that mistake again. He had far too much to figure out, and he had something else that he needed to do as well. Pushing the glass and the bottle towards Husk, he said an almost cheerful farewell and walked up the stairs to his room. He needed to see Angel, and the sooner the better.

"What the hell is going on around here? I'm too damn sober for this shit." Husk said to no one in particular, swallowing another mouthful of cheap booze.

Angel Dust had taken Nuggets back to his room so he could feed the little pig. He had taken the time to clean himself up a little afterwards, combing through his fur and fluffing it in all the right places. It was a ritual that he had to make himself feel a little better when he was out of sorts. Sometimes it even helped. He wanted a drink, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to get one today. He didn't get any more drink tokens until tomorrow, so that was out of the question, and having Smiles around all the time certainly didn't make it easy for him to earn a little extra dough to buy his own candy. Maybe he could slip out tonight after everyone else was asleep. In his line of work, it really didn't matter what time it was, there was almost always a customer to be had.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knocking at the door. Angel figured it was probably Alastor, since he said that he would be back soon. Sure enough, there were a pair of red glowing eyes looking back at him when he answered the door. "Come on in, Smiles," Angel offered. Alastor stepped into the room, closing the door behind himself.

No sooner than the door was closed, Alastor had the look of a man who desperately wants to say something but isn't certain just how to get it done. Angel chuckled to himself. The red demon also smelled of bourbon, and not the cheap kind. It didn't help Angel's craving for a drink, that was for sure.

"Angel," said Alastor, finding his courage after all, "I...I think I want to try something. Can I try something?"

Angel had a look of confusion. Was this the mighty Radio Demon asking Angel if he could do something? He would have to write this down, because this shit never happens!

"Uh, I guess?" Anel said, his voice inflecting it as a question.

Alastor nodded, taking a seat on the bed, as it was just about the only thing to sit on other than the floor. Once he sat down, he gestured for Angel to join him, not by his side, however, but on his lap.

"You sure you want me to sit on your lap?" Angel asked, uncertain that he understood. Alastor nodded, closing his eyes for just a moment, then patting his lap encouragingly. "Alright" shrugged Angel, taking a seat on the other's lap. It took him a few moments before he relaxed and leaned against Al's chest. Once both had relaxed a minute, and Alastor had his arms around Angel in a loose embrace, Angel spoke again. "Is this what you wanted to try, Al?"

Alastor shook his head slowly, then reached up and turned Angel's face to his own, saying "Not exactly, my dear. I wanted to try...this" and he pulled Angel closer before laying a tender kiss on the white demon's lips. At first the kiss was tender and light, but as neither pulled away, and Angel wrapped his hands into Alastor's hair, the kiss became deeper and more passionate until both had to stop for a moment and just breathe.

"If you're gonna keep that up," said Angel, "I'm gonna swear I ain't in Hell anymore."

Alastor leaned Angel closer to him, so that the spider demon was reclining on Alastor's chest. They sat in relative silence, other than the normal humming of Alastor's soft static. Angel noticed that every once in a while, there would be a slight break in the noise, then it would resume, as if it was tuning in to a new station. This made him curious.

"Hey, Al?" he said into the other's chest. Alastor hummed a reply. "I ain't trying to be rude, but I'm curious about something." He waited for Alastor to look down at him, his eyebrows raised in question. "When your static does that...y'know, that stop and start thing? Is that because you started thinking about something else?"

Angel watched as Alastor seemed to ponder that for a moment, then he answered, "you know, I never really paid attention to that before, but I think you might be right!" he laughed, good-naturedly.

"So?" Angel asked him gently, "did ya find out what you wanted to know?"

"I did" Alastor said quietly, but with a sense of satisfaction.

"Gonna share it with me?" asked Angel Dust impatiently.

"Soon." Was the answer, followed by "I want to see about something else too." And with that, he leaned forward to kiss Angel again, but this time as it became more intense, Angel was aware of a hand moving towards his chest, then rubbing into his fluff, and beginning to slide down his belly until Angel intercepted it. Alastor's eyes met his own, in an unspoken question. Angel giggled.

"It ain't that I mind," he said, his eyes shining, "but not in front of Nuggets! He's just a baby."

Alastor giggled, then began to laugh. "Oh darling, you tickle me!" He pulled Angel closer. "But I think I can explain your newfound ability." He said seriously, "and also a few other things that have been bothering me."

"Well?" prompted Angel "Spill it!"

"The other day when I had rather too much to drink?" he waited for Angel to nod in understanding "That truly isn't like me, and I hadn't set out to drink much at all."

"Okay." Angel said, waiting for more.

"Well, then there was today, when my intruder trap malfunctioned" Said Alastor, Angel just nodded. "And then you managing to somehow teleport out of the radio tower when you have never been able to do so before?"

"Get to the point, Al!" Angel was becoming impatient.

"I'm getting there, dear," he said patiently, "and tonight, when I was stressed, I was craving alcohol again, then I come here because I'm craving you." Angel blushed at Alastor's confession. "and when I touched you, it felt right. I wanted to do more of it." Alastor was blushing as well.

"So what are you saying, Alastor, because I don't see how this is connected at all." Answered Angel, feeling frustrated.

"Don't you see?" he answered. "I'm craving the things that you would. Things that I never really cared too much for before the curse." He saw a flicker of recognition in Angel's eyes. "And you, my dear," he said touching the place where Angel's nose would be, if he had one, "You have picked up some of my abilities, and if I am not mistaken, my trap did not activate because there is enough of me in you that it didn't recognize you as anything else." Alastor sat back, quite proud of himself, even if it did take him a while to figure it out.

"So, you're saying that since our souls were knitted together, part of your soul is now part of me, complete with having abilities that you have?" Angel asked, incredulously.

"Exactly, darling. That's it exactly." Answered Alastor.

Angel started giggling, then laughing. Then he snorted and laughed some more. Eventually it began to irritate Alastor, so Angel managed to get himself under control, until Alastor asked "Why on earth are you laughing so much?"

Angel barked another laugh. "Because man, did you get the short end of the stick!" and then he continued to laugh.


	22. Unfriendly Welcome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> CONTENT WARNING. EXTREME GORE. EXTREME TORTURE. VERY GRAPHIC. COULD BE TRIGGERING FOR PEOPLE WITH PTSD / CPTSD.
> 
> If you feel that this may be a trigger for you, it doesn't have to be read, you will still be able to follow the story line. This is a transcription of what I imagine one of Alastor's radio broadcasts would be like. If you are cool with that, then go right ahead and read it.

It began innocently, as such things tend to. Alastor was going to make his way over to the radio tower to set up for broadcast this morning and naturally, Angel Dust wanted to tag along. Lately it didn't matter what the Radio Demon was doing, Angel wanted to be there. They had both discovered that being apart for too long was difficult for them, so they both avoided it as much as possible. Maybe that was why Alastor had allowed Angel to accompany him, even though part of the idea rubbed him the wrong way.

It wasn't that Angel didn't know what went on during the shows, Alastor knew that he had listened in at least a few times from comments that Angel had made and questions he had asked. He also was acutely aware that certain facets of the shows would bother Angel. That wasn't a shock either, honestly, as those same facets bothered a great many demons. There weren't very many that were as immune to cries for mercy or groveling for life as Alastor was. He understood that he was different and he accepted it for what it was. In Alastor's mind, it couldn't be changed, so there was no need to waste time or energy in worrying about it.

It wasn't that Angel wasn't aware that there would be a "guest star" on this show, and that the unlucky demon involved was even now trapped in the basement of the radio tower. Alastor had a great many demons that owed him, had made deals with him, deals that almost never worked in their favor. It wasn't as if he had a shortage of bodies that could be used for his entertainment and his blood lust, which he was at least mostly certain would not ever change.

Angel knew all of this, he knew who and what Alastor was, he understood what would happen, but even with him knowing all of this, Alastor was worried, if he were honest, that actually seeing things happen in real time would change Angel's opinion of him. It wasn't that Angel had never taken a life. As even Angel would admit, he had taken many, both before and after his mortal death. It wasn't uncommon for a demon to manage to get their hands on exterminator steel. Probably a greater percentage of hell's citizenry had one than didn't. It was rare for it to be used, since it tended to draw attention to oneself and of course, that wasn't desirable.

To put it simply, Alastor had initially said, "yes" and now he was wishing that he had said "no".

Angel was struggling. He knew that he was going to see things that were gruesome, messy, and most likely downright scary as shit. He realized that before the show was over, he would be seeing Alastor transform into that most freakish demon form, other than his full demon form, which wouldn't fit easily in the basement. Angel wasn't looking forward to watching someone die, except part of him was looking forward to it and very excitedly at that. Angel couldn't explain what had brought about the change, other than it had to be yet another side effect of the soul-knitting. It must be very similar to what Alastor felt and in that case Angel was impressed that he was able to live around other demons at all without going on a mass murder spree every damn day! The need to see the torture and watch the whole thing play out was extreme. Was this what the red demon had been speaking of when he said he "craved entertainment"? Angel like entertainment as much as the next guy, but up until this started with the soulmate stuff, he would have said that everyone has limits. Instead, now he felt more understanding of Alastor's situation and he even felt a little sorry for him. Angel was afraid to tell Alastor how he felt about looking forward somewhat to this excursion, mainly because he didn't want him to think less of Angel, but he felt somehow wrong to have not said anything.

They had arrived at the door to the radio tower, Angel waiting for Alastor to enter first and disarm the system. He was mostly sure that it wouldn't have set off, but he didn't see any reason to tempt fate. After making his way inside and Alastor setting the system back up (which looked to Angel like the unholy offspring of a castle door, and a steampunk lawnmower.) He thought for a minute, but then asked the obvious question. "Hey, Al?" he waited until the other demon turned to face him, his eyebrows raised. "That invention looks really bad ass and all, but why?" Alastor looked at him as if he didn't understand the question, so Angel continued. "I mean, you could just buy an alarm system, or even a security system that patrols the area. You have electricity, so why all the gear work?"

Alastor chuckled, the look on his face one of understanding. "Darling," he said gently, taking Angel's top set of hands into his own, "Have you forgotten who my strongest enemy is?"

Angel thought for a moment, the answer seeming quite clear now that he had it pointed out to him. Alastor chuckled again, knowing that Angel had put the pieces together. "Yes my dear," he said, "if I used anything that was electronic, it would be very easy for Vox to override it, rendering it completely ineffective." His face took on a different look, it seemed more like concern than anything else. "Now, tell me, darling," he said quietly, even gently. "Why did you want to come this morning to see my work?" Angel couldn't find the words right away, and he knew that the truth might do more harm than good, as Alastor seemed to be quite protective of him. "The last time you practically begged me to not have a guest, but today you plan to stay and observe. Don't you find that strange at all?" Angel shifted from one foot to the other, looking at the wall behind Alastor.

"I...I can't explain it really" lied Angel. Why was telling him the whole truth so hard? What was he afraid of? "I just feel like I should be there. Maybe I should be there. If we are going to be together, don't I need to accept all of you? This is a part of who you are." Angel felt as if this answer might satisfy the deer demon, as it was really about half of the truth. Angel reasoned that he wasn't really lying, it was true.

Alastor looked at Angel, knowing there was more to this. He didn't understand what Angel was hiding, but the entire business was making him more nervous about this whole thing. He wished a million times over that he had just told the spider no, and left it at that. He sighed. What could he do? If Angel was this determined to see it though, perhaps Alastor would just have to help him to change his mind. He suspected that part of it could just be a morbid curiosity, but what if Alastor's soul was corrupting Angel? There was no doubt that of the two of them, Alastor was definitely darker. That was terribly apparent to anyone that had met them. Yet, Angel wanted to gloss this over as if Alastor was simply a misunderstood and blameless victim. Maybe it was time for Angel to see just how terrible Alastor truly was.

"Are you certain, darling?" he asked once more, hoping against hope that Angel might change his mind, yet knowing that he would not.

"I'm sure, Smiles." he answered, without a shred of judgment in his eyes.

Alastor shrugged. "Alright" he said. "If you are certain, then let's get started" he said, opening the heavy door to the cellar. "After you, my dear" he said, gesturing for Angel to go first.

As Angel entered the cool and damp space, the first thing he noticed was the smell of blood. It was a smell that you don't ever forget. It smells of iron, earth, and well, just blood. Angel had smelled it plenty of times when he was alive, whether it was his or someone else's, blood always smelled the same. This wasn't the old smell of leftover blood that he had witnessed on his last visit here, no, this was fresh and it was plentiful. The smell assaulted his nostrils before he made it to the bottom of the old rickety steps. As he rounded the corner he could see that there was a figure in one of the chairs he had seen last time.

At least this was a demon that he didn't know personally. Alastor had told him that he didn't think they were acquainted since this was an old partner of his from a deal long since completed. As it turned out, he had sold his soul to Alastor, although he didn't say what the demon had gotten in return, Angel guessed it probably wouldn't have been worth this, but as fools tend to realize far too late, that is almost always the case when making a deal with anyone in hell.

The demon had been awake as they descended the stairs, no doubt he had heard them enter the tower. Angel didn't know what the demon had done before they came downstairs, of course, but it was apparent that he was now struggling as much as possible to get free, but even Angel knew that the guy was wasting his energy. There was nothing for the demon to grab or undo. It was like he was glued into the chair. Whatever magic Alastor used to keep the guy there, it was working really well. The chair itself reminded Angel of a cross between an old fashioned barber chair and those strange looking chair/beds that they use in the dentists office. The difference was that this one had evidence of other "guests" left all over it. Angel supposed it didn't really matter if it was cleaned or not, as the person sitting in it really didn't have to worry about getting sick anymore. He found himself not able to look away as the demon's panic rose with every passing second. He felt a strange sense of satisfaction watching the fear running across the guy's face.

Angel had almost forgotten that Alastor was even here. He was brought back to that reality when Alastor spoke to the demon, or rather he was speaking to his audience, in the guise of addressing his guest. Alastor had everything up and running and he had planted his microphone on the floor a small distance from his victim. It was close enough to pick up whatever was said, or in the victim's case, screeched, but far enough that it was not in the way.

Angel listened as Alastor got the show started. He seemed to drag on with the intro, which Angel supposed was probably to build the anticipation, and of course, to torment his victim, who had long since given up trying to struggle, but was now sitting in silence, tears streaming from both eyes. He must have finally accepted that he was powerless to stop this, which was absolutely true. Even if he got loose by some miracle, the door would get him. He might not know it, but Angel sure did.

Angel watched Alastor, his eyes glued to every moment as the deer demon selected his first implement of torture. He started simply enough, picking up what looked like a huge set of pliers, selecting a tooth seemingly at random, latching on and without another thought, the tooth was out. The demon was screeching like a banshee. Angel was transfixed. He followed up with another tooth, then a few fingernails, then moved on to toenails. Angel never looked away, it was all far to fascinating to miss even a moment of this show. He managed to glance up at Alastor, who seemed to be just as enraptured as Angel was. Alastor dropped the pliers and picked up his next instrument, which Angel Dust immediately recognized as a scalpel.

Once he had the scalpel in hand, Alastor made sure to bring it up to eye level for the demon, letting him wonder for a moment where he would center his attentions next. Alastor was itching to cut open the gut on this demon, but he didn't want to cut the show short, which cutting into the abdomen generally would. He was struck with an incredible idea. He leaned over, taking hold of the victim's ear. He made a great show of slowly carving it from his screaming head. This was entertainment of the finest variety! He hadn't had such a screamer in a long while and of course, with the radio, the more noise and the more variety, the better. Alastor smiled wider, thinking that the folks at home are getting quite a show today. He then amputated a few of the fingers that he hadn't pulled the nails from. He knew that it wouldn't be too long now before this one bleeds out, so he moved on to the belly.

Slowly and with very calculated movements, he began carving the buttons from the shirt, then laying it wide open, exposing a white T shirt under it. Ah, this was precious! Alastor loved the build up of layers to expose the soft flesh beneath. He started at the bottom, slowly cutting the shirt and tearing it from the demon's body, leaving only the soft grey belly of this demon.

Alastor chanced a look up to Angel, making sure that he was still okay. He had been so involved and consumed with his show that he had almost forgotten that the spider was even here, as he hadn't made a sound since it began. When Alastor caught sight of Angel's face, he knew that it would haunt him for the rest of his days. Instead of the disgust, fear, or empathy he expected, Angel was simply mesmerized, his features a resemblance of Alastor's. It was the first time that Alastor had ever felt bad about his "art", but he had to concentrate on the task at hand. The show had to go on, they could discuss other things later.

Alastor looked back to his victim, who was by now panting to catch his breath and weak from blood loss. There was a great sticky puddle of blood beneath Alastor's boots, not to mention the streaks of it on his slacks and his hands, which were smeared with an abundance of it. Alastor took the scalpel and made an expert cut, starting on the left and pulling all the way across to the right, just below the clavicle, the following the sternum from top all the way to the bottom, finishing with a cut from hip to hip. He reached his hands inside the cavity of the body, pulling the skin back and laying the demon wide open, all of the internal organs on display. Alastor could see the heart still beating under the ribcage if he would only remove the pectoral muscles, but instead he reached directly into the abdomen, pulling the small intestines out as if they were a long, bloody rope, laying them in the demon's lap until he had them all lying outside the body. 

The demon was beginning to fade, and honestly, he was getting boring. There were very few screams now, probably because the victim was getting weak. Alastor decided to end this show with a bang. Picking up the small intestines once more, he pulled them up over the demon's chest, wrapping them around the neck of his victim and using them to strangle him. It didn't take long, as he was already just about gone, but Alastor liked the symmetry of the thing.

He closed the show, and after he was off the air, he picked up a blade made of exterminator steel. He walked back over the body of the demon, who would have needed weeks to recover if left alone, and quickly stabbed the blade all the way into the heart of the demon, stopping it permanently.

Alastor looked up to Angel, who was still sitting in exactly the same place as before, his jaw hanging open. Alastor had really hoped that this was finally the moment of disgust, where Angel would come to his senses, realize that this was terribly wrong and that he shouldn't have been here, but to Alastor's disappointment, Angel wasn't repulsed at all.

"Are you alright, my dear?" questioned Alastor as he was wiping his hands with a towel. Angel still had a blank look on his face, but it wasn't an expression of disgust or fear, which it honestly should have been.

"Oh yeah." he said, almost breathless. "That was like the most intense high I have ever had." he said, still sounding a little washed out.

Of course, that was the last thing that Alastor had wanted to hear. What had he done to Angel Dust?


	23. Inside Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alastor does some outsourcing

They could have teleported back to the hotel, but Alastor felt more like walking. He needed time to sort out his thoughts on this change in Angel Dust. Although the two were walking hand in hand and side by side, it felt more like they were oceans apart. The smile etched into the deer demon's face did little to lift his spirits.

When he had told Angel that he had begun to fall desperately into feelings for his soft, perfect arachnid, he had meant every word. Alastor wasn't certain, even now, why he had fallen and fallen hard for the person that Angel was, but he had. He could easily have named off several things that he found irresistible about his most prized relationship, but part of it was that despite Angel being a renown sex worker and a porn star to boot, he was innocent. Sure, Angel wasn't innocent when it came to lewd things, quite to the contrary, he was most likely the best versed person Alastor had ever met when it came to carnal acts. That didn't mean that he wasn't innocent, at least not to Alastor.

Angel Dust possessed something that Alastor had never once in his life or afterlife had of his own. Angel Dust possessed empathy. Angel cared about the people around him, he wanted to take care of everything and everyone, even if it wasn't readily apparent to people who knew him only on the surface. Alastor chalked it up to the fact that Angel, for all his outgoing nature, was truly a very private person. He knew that there were many times that Angel Dust would take care of everyone around him, and often, it was done anonymously. Angel didn't take care of others because he wanted the praise or for them to owe him something in return. Angel did it because he wanted to. He did it because it seemed right to him, and he made sure that he kept it to himself so that nobody felt like they owed him for his kindness.

Alastor had treasured that about Angel above almost anything else. Maybe that was why, he mused to himself, he felt so terrible about the change in Angel's temperament. What if, as time went on, he lost more and more of himself and became more and more what Alastor had always been? Alastor couldn't bear the thought of losing the parts of Angel Dust that he loved the best, although, if he were completely honest, it would be so nice to have a partner who was just as excited by hunting and killing as Alastor was himself. What an unstoppable force they could become, truly a force to be reckoned with!

Then there was another problem that Alastor had only just considered: If Angel is becoming more like Alastor, then is this why Alastor was feeling actual guilt regarding the change in his beloved Angel Dust? That would certainly be a problem. No small part of the reason that Alastor could live so comfortably was because he knew that there were only a handful here in hell that would have the nerve or stupidity to cross him. Everyone knew that the Radio Demon wouldn't tolerate anyone else challenging him or his authority. What, then, would happen to the two of them when Alastor suddenly developed a conscience and tried to avoid fighting or killing? He was not so naïve as to think that the strongest enemies that he had defeated wouldn't come back looking for blood. Angel may have a taste of Alastor's abilities now, but he had only dipped a single toe into the waters of the powers Alastor harnessed. Angel wouldn't be able to protect the both, let alone himself, should those powerful forces return to settle an old score. He didn't want to imagine how it would end if Angel couldn't protect them, and Alastor wouldn't protect them because he had a conscience now. One thing was certain. To ensure Angel's continued safety and security, Alastor was going to have to make an agonizing decision, and he didn't like the looks of it, to be honest.

Once they reached the hotel, Angel was off to go take care of Fat Nuggets, and Alastor had told him that he was going to where Valentino was to check up on him and see if he had something better to offer than his terribly vague and empty promise of the last visit. Angel seemed content to let Alastor handle Valentino. Angel didn't really want to be anywhere near the demon at this point, and Alastor couldn't blame him for that, although he was glad, this once, for he didn't want Angel to know what would be discussed. Alastor was almost certain that Valentino had something that he could easily trade for his (limited) freedom. Alastor set off and as soon as he was out of sight of the hotel, he teleported his way into the small square where Valentino was still stuck in the stocks Alastor had placed him in.

"Ah, Valentino!" Alastor called out rather cheerfully, a wide smile on his face. "I do hope the day finds you well." He said, ending with a chuckle as he took in the sorry state of the former overlord. The clothing that had been previously shredded and hanging from his tall frame was now completely absent. Apparently, the crowds had really enjoyed the chance to take out their own frustrations on someone that for the moment was weaker than they. One of Val's antennae was broken and hanging at a strange angle from his head, the other antenna was missing completely. Valentino's eyes had sunken in quite a bit in the last few days, no doubt from the combination of starvation and dehydration. There were an entire new crop of contusions and cuts from Lucifer knows what, and they seemed to cover every square inch of Val's frame. Someone had even managed to take off with the shoes on Valentino's feet! Although Alastor hadn't bothered to look at the poor demon's genitalia, he was certain if he had that there would be damage there as well, and likely not any less brutal than everywhere else on the demon.

"The fuck you want, Bambi?" spat Valentino, only the fatigue in his voice giving away that he was anything but in control of the situation.

Alastor squatted down in front of the former overlord, allowing them to look at each other eye to eye.

"Valentino," Alastor crooned, his face carved with a malicious grin, and it was growing wider by the moment. It wasn't difficult at all to see the fire blazing in the eyes of the red demon. He used his staff to gently lift the chin of the taller demon, forcing his eyes to meet the eyes of the feared Radio Demon. Alastor's eyes had changed to the perfectly round radio dials, twitching slightly to the left every half second or so. In layman's terms it was easy to tell from the voice, eyes, and longer antlers that Alastor was pissed. He used as few words as possible to make certain that his point was clear. "You will refrain from calling me that if you value your existence." He watched as Valentino blinked, swallowed hard, and offered a meek apology. Satisfied that the matter had been communicated very effectively, the deer demon allowed the chin of the other demon to drop when he moved his staff away and stood back up to his full height, a reminder that he had all the advantage at this time. He stood directly in front of Val now, who was looking down at the shoes of the radio demon, his skin looking almost green instead of its normal tint. Alastor knew that this was the time to strike a deal with Valentino. He would have bet his own soul that Val would agree to almost any terms Alastor could name at this time. "Address me properly, then," commanded Alastor. There was a brief pause, causing Alastor to tilt his head to one side, sizing the other demon up once again, wondering if he had miscalculated, but then Valentino spoke.

"I have had better days," followed by "sir"

Alastor knew immediately that he had not miscalculated. This was the time to strike. He laid the trap and baited it well. In a matter of minutes, Valentino had agreed to all that Alastor had proposed. Alastor finally had exactly what he needed to ensure that Vox did not gain the upper hand in this situation, he had his man on the inside, and what was best: his man on the inside was stuck in a deal with the radio Demon. He couldn't sabotage the operation, and he couldn't back out without paying the consequences which were, of course, heinous even by Valentino's standards.

With a wave of his hand, Valentino's body was clothed again, although it was different clothing than he was accustomed to. Alastor snickered as he replaced the look of Valentino's "pimp" clothes with spiffy and dapper cuts from the 1930's. Although Val couldn't have been pleased about the wardrobe change, he damn sure didn't let on. He didn't want to give the deer demon a reason to be upset with him.

"Ah, that look suits you much better, my dear." Cried Alastor, looking beyond proud of himself. "Now let's get to the hotel so that I may introduce you properly to everyone and we will go over the details of the plan." Alastor stopped for a second, glancing at Val. "Ah, where is my brain hahahahahaha! You must be starving. We shall stop and get you some food along the way" he called out cheerfully.

Valentino followed Alastor, as if he had any choice.


	24. Penty-Raid!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angel and Cherri Bomb raze some hell with everyone's favorite snek-boi.

Angel was restless.

He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he felt the urge to be doing *something*, even if he didn't know what. He wasn't used to feeling this way, as generally he was quite content to lie around and enjoy his down time. He was a simple demon. When he was working, he gave it his all. When he was not working, he gave that his all as well. Maybe he could get in touch with Cherri and try to go find old Penty-Poo. He was always good for a quick skirmish and he was so easy to get all flustered with the innuendo. Angel picked up his hellphone, sending a message to Cherri.

When it came to technology, Angel Dust was the opposite of Alastor. Where Alastor tended to lag behind the times, clinging to what he was used to during his living days, Angel quickly embraced the new technologies. Perhaps it was because Angel needed to be able to keep up with the younger crowds if he was going to continue to make a decent living. Alastor, on the other hand, had created a niche of his own, which was really on his own. He didn't have the need to contact anyone that he couldn't just visit in person. Angel couldn't think of anyone that would call the deer demon on purpose, either.

Angel was beginning to feel the stirrings of the uneasiness again, feeling that overwhelming need to do something, and as that need grew, Angel was aware that it wasn't just any old thing, he needed to create some chaos. Luckily for him, right about that time he had an answer from his pal Cherri, and she was on her way to meet up with him and go kick up a rumpus. Angel squealed, causing Nuggets to lift his fat pink head and snort in Angel's direction. Angel Dust never noticed, he was far too busy getting some clothing out to get ready to go and raise some hell, or raze some Hell, as the case would likely be.

A few minutes later found Angel making his way out the front door of the hotel, heading to the agreed upon pick up spot where he would be meeting Cherri. He didn't want her to be seen at the hotel since he was completely certain that Charlie and Vaggie would NOT approve of his shenanigans. As he turned the corner to duck into the alley that would lead him to Cherri, another couple turned the corner from downtown to follow the sidewalk back to the hotel. Angel saw Alastor's red coat, which was pretty much one of a kind, but he wasn't sure who was with him. He hadn't seen another demon that dressed like that in a long time. Looks like Smiles found a buddy, though, as their fashion sense was the same, even the colors were similar. 'Oh well' thought Angel. His heart wanted to see Alastor, but it looked like he would be busy with his guest, anyway. Angel had left a note with Husker to deliver when Alastor came back so that he wouldn't worry about Angel. He made the last turn at the end of the filthy alley and saw Cherri waiting for him, sitting on the trunk of the car that she was driving.

"Nice wheels, sis!" cried Angel. He hadn't seen this one before. He wondered if she stole it or if she had bought it somehow. He decided to not ask. It didn't really matter anyway, this was hell and there weren't any rules here. "So," he said with a sly wink and a smile "where are we headed, toots?" He climbed into the passenger seat as Cherri slid into the driver side.

"I saw snake boy's blimp on the way over. You ready to blow some shit up?"

"Oh babe" he said, "I was born ready!" He hooted into the air, feeling exuberant at the idea of sowing some discord.

"Let's do this!" cried out Cherri, stepping on the accelerator and speeding through the streets until the dirigible loomed in front of them, having touched down momentarily in a block covered with debris that had once been buildings, long since destroyed by another turf war.

It was hard to say which of the pair was on their feet first, and although Cherri threw the first bomb, Angel Dust was right beside her, a Thompson in his lower hands and twin handguns in the top pair.

"Hey, Sir Pants-less!" bellowed Cherri, heaving one bomb, then quickly following up with another. A squadron of egg bois came swarming from the doorway of the ship. Angel was mowing them down with a combination of his pistols and the Thompson, high as hell on the feeling of the moment. When had chaos felt this good to him before? He couldn't have said, but this was like tripping on some first-rate shit! He squeezed off his first bunch of rounds, stopping to reload once he saw that the group had been splattered on the ground.

"Hey, Cherri?" yelled Angel, a smirk on his face as Sir Pentious made his appearance, "If he don't wear pants, d'ya think he's got underwear? Angel cackled at his own wisecrack, turning his head to Pentious, who looked very much unamused at Angel's antics. "So Pantsless, do you have underwear on? Is it a G-string?" he stopped, and his smirk grew wider as an idea occurred to him "I know!" he turned to Cherri, "I wonder if it's a Py-thong??!?" He had turned his face back towards Pentious with the last word, inflecting it as if he were expecting an answer. "Dat what it is, Pantsless?"

Sir Pentious' face displayed his current level of irritation, he rolled his eyes, both hands on his hips. "That's also none of your God Damned Business!" he hissed at the two, his head switching to and fro with each word.

"Oooh" taunted Angel, "Look, sugar, I think we hurt Egg-Lord's feelings!" he laughed again, maniacally, opening fire on the latest swarm of henchmen. Pentious fired off a strange looking weapon that wrapped the two together in a chain, causing Angel's guns to fall away from him and disappear.

Pentious was caught in a fit of over the top laughter as the egg bois carried Angel and Cherri over towards him. "Looks like you're all trussed up, you classless whores!" he cried out triumphantly, his chest thrown out in front of him in victory.

"Yeah" purred Angel, "but now you've got us all tied up, whatcha gonna do with us?" he countered seductively.

"You two will be begging for release before I finish with you!" threatened the snake.

"Oooh." Smirked Angel. "Kinky." He waggled his eyebrows.

"Will you STOP that!" demanded Sir Pentious, indignant. "You know what I meant." He huffed.

Angel shrugged, then he disappeared, reappearing behind Sir Pentious, who froze instantly.

"Hhhow did you do that?" he demanded, a tremble in his voice, his color faded slightly.

"Heh." Chuckled Angel. "I'm a slut, remember? We whores are known for our tricks." He manifested a pistol and shot Sir Pentious in the tail, causing the snake to fall over, writhing on the ground. As Pentious glared back up at him, Angel shot him in the head, knowing that he would recover in less than an hour.

"That was a pretty cool party trick, Angie!" cried Cherri, lobbing a couple more bombs into the door of the dirigible as they were walking back to the car. "I didn't know you could do that."

"Yeah" snickered Angel. "I'm just full of surprises, ain't I?" They got into the car and were headed for a celebratory drink when Angel's phone vibrated, and he looked at the message. "Aw shit." He said, disappointed. "I guess you gotta take me home, Cherri." He looked over at his cohort. He shifted in the seat, his good mood rapidly evaporating.

"What's up?" she questioned, keeping her one eye on the road. "Something wrong?"

Angel didn't want to talk about it right now. He just shrugged. "Nah. But some business came up that I gotta take care of. Maybe we can meet up for that drink in a little while?" He didn't think it would happen, and it showed in his voice.

"Okay, Angie." Cherri said, knowing better than to pry when Angel was clammed up like this.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alastor makes plans to fix things and Angel catches half a conversation.

Alastor had just walked into the front foyer of the hotel when he saw Husker wave him over. The motion was small enough that Valentino probably hadn't noticed it, but as Alastor wasn't certain what Husker needed, he invited Valentino to have a seat on the plush sofa. Alastor crossed the room efficiently, as always, leaning over the bar to allow Husker to speak to him quietly. 

"What the fuck is up with the bug?" grunted Husker, his upper lip sneering in Val's direction. It wasn't that Husk wasn't aware that Valentino could still likely hear him. It was much more a matter of Husk really not giving a good goddamn. When Alastor's only answer was a very pointed look and a shake of his head indicating that this wasn't the time, Husker rolled his eyes. "Whatever." he huffed. "Message for you, while you were out." he said, not wanting to give more information than he should. Husk passed a folded piece of paper across the bar to Alastor, who swiftly picked it up and scanned its contents. 

*Hey Smiles! I went out with Cherri for a while, have my phone if you need me. Be back later, Mi Amore. Angel*

Alastor sighed as he folded the small note and slipped it into his inside jacket pocket. He pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment, regrouping. He really didn't like the idea of Angel hanging out with Cherri right now, given the propensity of the two to always end up finding trouble. Knowing those two, they probably went looking for trouble. 

While he was standing at the bar he grabbed a couple of drinks, one for him and the other for Valentino, who seemed content to be sitting on the sofa, his eyes roaming around taking in the place. Alastor grinned to himself, it probably felt pretty damn good to be sitting down after being stuck in the pillory for the last few days. He crossed the room and handed the drink off to Val, lifting his own in salute. "To a fruitful partnership!" he said cheerfully, downing most of his own drink in one swallow. 

"If you'll excuse me, Val, I need to meet with Charlie momentarily and I may be a few minutes. Feel free to stay where you are, or if you'd prefer, you could always wait at the bar." He looked over his shoulder to Husker, making certain that the gruff chimera heard him. "He's my business partner, Husker, so please be sure to take good care of him." Husk grunted in response, and Alastor took his leave, heading to Charlie's office. 

After he had rounded the corner and made his way there, he was relieved to see that Charlie was in her office, so he didn't have to hunt her down. At least someone is where they should be, he grumbled to himself. Not only was he worried about what Angel might be into, he had been separated from his soulmate long enough that he was becoming edgy and just needed to be near him for a bit. Alastor very much liked the idea of not being forever alone anymore, but he was still trying to adjust to the feeling of needing someone else for anything. 

"Ah, dear Charlie!" he cried out as he entered the office. The young blonde smiled up at him, her eyes waiting for some hint of what was going on to bring Alastor to her office. "I'm afraid that I need your assistance, my dear. I want to send a message to Angel, but I do not have a hellphone to use. would you mind sending him a message for me?" 

"Sure, Al!" she replied cheerily. "You know," she added, "you should get a hellphone. Even if you have a hard time with the texting, you could always, you know, just FaceTime" 

Alastor grinned and nodded his head, although he had absolutely no idea to what she was referring, he knew that this would be faster if she didn't get sidetracked into trying to explain that nonsense to him. "Yes, yes, I suppose you are right" he agreed. "Could you please send a message to Angel that I would appreciate it very much if he could cut his outing a little short and return to the hotel at once?" Charlie tapped out a quick message on her phone and pressed send. It was a few minutes and there had been no response. Alastor was beginning to fear that something was terribly wrong for Angel to not answer when there was a buzzing from the phone. The message indicated that Angel would be home very soon and he was on his way. Alastor heaved a sigh of relief.

"Is that all you needed, Al? You seem to be a little tense today." Charlie inquired of the deer demon, who had decided to have a seat in the chair beside him. 

"Ah, yes, dear" he said, making certain that his smile was pasted exactly where it should be. "I simply have had a very busy morning. I do have things that I would like to fill you in on, but I had preferred to speak to both you and Angel Dust at the same time." he said, although he was beginning to wonder if perhaps he should speak to Angel Dust privately. "I have brought Valentino back to the hotel with me." he said very matter of fact. Charlie tried (and failed) to hide her surprise at that revelation. Alastor held up a hand for her to give him a moment to explain his actions. 

"I know" he said "that you might think it strange and I understand that you might have reservations, but this is our best strategy for a good outcome." He gave Charlie a moment to digest this before continuing. "Valentino and I have an agreement." he said flatly. 

"He made a deal, then?" asked Charlie, pointedly.

"Yes, that is exactly correct" answered Alastor. "It is a deal that he will not be able to circumvent without losing everything that he holds important and losing it in the most painful ways possible." Alastor had a grim look upon his face, the smile appearing to become more malicious than friendly. "And although nothing would make me happier than to exact that fate upon him, I don't think that he will be foolish enough to make the decision to break the deal. Valentino is going to assist us in bringing Vox down and settling this entire business." Alastor sat back in his chair. 

Charlie appeared to be deep in thought for a few minutes. She had a question burning in her mind, Alastor was sure of it, she was trying to find a way to ask it, he supposed, so he gave her a little more time to vocalize her concern. "

"You know," she said slowly and rather quietly, "you and Angel Dust don't have to break the curse unless you want to. If you two are happy being together, then I don't see any reason why..." 

Alastor held up his hands to stop her before she went any further. "Don't you understand?" he said, a hint of hurt in his voice, "I need to break the curse. We simply cannot remain as we are now." Charlie's face took on a look of equal parts surprise and horror. Alastor noticed that her eyes weren't trained on him, but the wall behind him. He turned to see a horrified Angel Dust standing in the door way. 

"Angel?" he whispered, "darling, how long have you been standing there?" 

Angel didn't answer, except for the tears in his eyes, and a small squeak as he turned and flew up the stairs.


	26. Inevitable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alastor discovers that it is difficult to chase someone who can teleport at will.

Angel managed to make it to his room before he completely lost his composure. Slamming his door shut behind him, he continued until he was in his bathroom, that door shut and locked as well before he allowed what he had heard to completely penetrate, feeling the far too familiar pain of rejection once again.

He should have known that things wouldn't be able to last. He was, after all, THE Angel Dust, the slut that always had a boyfriend, but never love. He beat two of his fists on the wall in frustration and hurt, part of him wishing that he had never heard what was just said, part of him knowing that it was inevitable and almost relieved that it had finally happened. At least now, he thought, he didn't have to sit around and wait for the shoe to drop. It had already happened and although his already cracked heart was shattered, he knew that given time, he would find some way to tape it back together until the next one broke it all over again. Maybe, eventually, someone would break it enough that it just disappeared, then at least he wouldn't have to live through it being broken over and over again.

"Damn It!" he cried, pounding his fists into the wall again, how could he have been so stupid? Why in the name of everything unholy did he allow himself to believe that someone like Alastor could fall in love with someone like him? Not fucking likely. People like Alastor fell in love with people like themselves, people that they had more in common with, not with loose sluts that never made it through high school, and certainly not with the town whore. Valentino was right. Angel was good at being a whore, and that was the only thing he was good at. He needed to stop setting his sights so high and just accept the cards he had been dealt.

Angel decided that it was time that he paid Val a visit. It was time for him to face reality and get back to where he belonged. At least he knew exactly where to find the bug, since Al had kept him stuck there. He wasn't going like this, though. He turned on the shower, peeling off the clothes he was wearing and stepped inside, letting the hot water run over him. At least here, in the water, nobody would see that he still had tears running down his face. He might have lost his heart, again, but he still had some pride and damned if he was going to let that snooty bastard know how deeply he'd been hurt.

Angel stepped out of the shower and decided that he had cried enough. It was time to be tough and do what had to be done. First, he needed to get some clothes on and get the hell outta here (pun fully intended!) before that damn deer man showed up. Angel made his way to the closet and picked out the first thing he found and slid it on, and in the meantime, he was using his other set of hands to put on the bare minimum of makeup. He ran his hands through his hair and smoothed it all out, and no sooner than he had his boots on he could hear someone knocking on his door. He sighed. He wouldn't be making an exit that way, for sure and he was on the third floor, so climbing out the window was a hard no.

Alastor might have broken his heart, but he still had that goddamn teleport power, and since he had it, he planned to use it. As the doorknob turned and the door began to open, Angel decided to teleport himself to the next block, making his escape very efficiently. At least he got something other than heartache from this whole sham! That teleport ability had come in handy twice already today. At least something had gone right.

‐---------------------------------------

Alastor hadn't known that Angel Dust was behind him until after he had turned around, and before he could explain anything, Angel was gone. He turned to look at Charlie, whose look matched the way he felt inside. It was as if his own heart had been ripped out and thrown aside. Alastor, who had spent his entire afterlife torturing others, killing others, never feeling remorse for his actions, the same demon that enjoyed the prospect of watching others suffer and fail, Alastor, the great Radio Demon himself, was now on the receiving end of a heartbreak and it took him, quite literally, to his knees.

As soon as he had hit the floor, Charlie was there beside him, her arm thrown around his shoulders to calm him. Normally he would have protested and pushed her away, his aversion to unexpected touch being so very sensitive, but this was different. In this moment Alastor was convinced that if she had let go of him his entire body would have simply fallen into pieces. What had he done? He certainly hadn't meant for things to turn out this way, and he had to fix them, but what could he do or say that would or even could possibly undo the damage he'd just inflicted? Although Angel was not an intellectual, he also was not at all stupid. What the spider lacked in book knowledge, he more than compensated for in street smarts and emotional prowess. It was part of what made him as successful in the industry he'd worked in. How in hell was Alastor going to convince him that what he thought he heard was not by any stretch what he had meant?

Alastor was becoming aware that there were tears running down his face. He hadn't felt this since he had been alive, and even then, it had been a rare occurrence. Alastor had learned at an early age to distance himself from feeling, and mostly that had served him well. He had only realized the tears when he coughed up a massive sob and fell into Charlie, the tears freely running down his face and the sobs rumbling from his chest as a long overdue earthquake. He wanted to chase Angel Dust and make him listen, make him understand that this was a misunderstanding, but Charlie wisely pointed out that Angel, unlike Alastor, was a very emotional creature. Cornering him now, while the hurt is still fresh and deep could yield disastrous consequences. She suggested giving him a little while to calm, then approaching him to try to talk things out. As much as he didn't want to wait, he knew that her advice made sense. He decided to wait it out in her office. He didn't need anyone else seeing him in this shape.

A half hour later a very puffy-eyed deer demon was knocking on the door of his soulmate, but not getting an answer. Alastor could hear movement inside, he knew that Angel was there. He carefully turned the knob and was greeted by the sight of the disappearance of a portal, leaving behind a very empty room and a broken-hearted Radio Demon.


	27. All That Can Go Wrong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angel is MIA  
> Alastor is heartbroken  
> Everything is all screwed up  
> But at least Vox is happy.

When Alastor had first entered the room, only to see the last remnants of Angel Dust disappearing, his first instinct was to follow. That is, until he quickly realized that he had no idea of where to look for his soulmate. He couldn't have said where Angel might have gone, not even if his own mortal soul depended upon it. He sat on the bed with a plop, feeling sorry for himself. He might have sat there longer, but hearing a scuffle outside the door, he got up to see what it was only to find Charlie attempting to slip away without notice. He fixed his smile and cleared his throat to get her attention and watched as her shoulders tensed, knowing she had been caught.

Charlie turned with a tenative grin, asking how things were, that she was just checking on them. Alastor shook his head. "He isn't here. As I came in the door he was leaving, and I have no idea of where he might have gone." Alastor hoped that his smile could hide the panic that he was feeling in his chest.

"Well," she answered, "we should go and look for him. Now...I wonder where would I go if I was Angel Dust..." she tapped her chin thoughtfully. "We should check at Cherri's place. They are good friends and he might have gone there to find a listening ear."

Alastor had to admit that was a good idea, but he had no idea of where Cherri lived. He hadn't ever had occasion to visit her, as she was too wild and boisterous for his taste. "Do you, by chance know where she lives?" he asked hopefully.

Charlie shook her head. "No, I have no idea." she frowned for just a moment, then as if a thought just occurred to her. "But I know who does!" she took off sprinting down the hallway. Alastor quickly closed the door behind him and ran after her. They ended up downstairs, finding Vaggie. "Vaggie!" called Charlie "Hey, Vaggie!" Finally she appeared from the kitchen, holding a towel.

"What's wrong?" she cried, not used to seeing Charlie quite this excited.

"Do you know where Cherri Bomb lives?" asked Charlie breathlessly. "We need to find Angel Dust and we don't know where to look, but that seems like a good start."

Vaggie nodded her head. "Yeah, I used to hang out with her a lot. I know where she lives."

"I need to you go with Alastor so that he can try to find Angel. If he isn't at Cherri's, then..."she thought for a moment. "...split up and check anywhere else in the city that you can think of until you find him."

Vaggie nodded, although she wasn't too excited to be traveling with Sir-Smiles-A-Lot, she didn't want anything bad to happen to Angel Dust. He was finally beginning to grow on her and she was beginning to think of him as more than an annoyance. Alastor called Vaggie over to him, motioning for her to hurry.

"What?" she demanded, "we need to get going!"

"Exactly!" he agreed, opening a portal with his eldritch powers. "Ladies first!" he said, giving her a gentle shove to the shoulder as he followed her into the void and they both disappeared.

"Wanna make a bet on which one kills the other?" Husker said to Valentino, who was still waiting at the bar, not having been spoken to since arrival.

"Sure." said Val. "Why the hell not?"

\-----------------------------------------------------

Angel arrived at the block, and promptly fell on his non-existent ass as the portal disappeared. "Son of a...OW!" he yelled as he landed. "I gotta work on those landings. How the hell does he do this so smoothly?" he stomped away from the corner as quickly as possible to put as much distance between him and the hotel as he could before anyone came looking for him. He was sure that Alastor would be looking for him, so he knew to avoid his regular hangouts until he had a plan. The walk back to the pillory was farther than he had remembered, but eventually he arrived only to find that it was empty. "That's fuckin' weird." he thought to himself. Alastor hadn't mentioned letting Val go, but then again, they hadn't talked at all today, so Angel guessed that it was possible that they had managed to strike a deal. No matter. Angel was sure that after being away from the studio this long, there was no way that Val wouldn't be there now. Shit, his schedule had to have been so fucked! Oh well, at least Angel knew that there would be plenty of work available. Deciding that he was tired of walking, he opened another portal and stepped through it to arrive directly at the studio. This sure beat walking his legs off to get everywhere.

The studio looked deserted when Angel arrived, which was, in itself, strange. He walked up to the doors, and they were not locked, so he went on inside to see if he could find Val. He knew better than to waste time on the ground floors. Val's office was on the top, so he strolled to the elevator and rode it to the penthouse. Once the doors opened, it was apparent that someone was there, because the office light was on and he could see movement.

"Val?" he called out, stepping from the elevator and walking through the foyer and to the hallway leading to the back office where he had spent what seemed like an eternity. He could see a long leg in the doorway, as if someone was standing there and decided to lean over to the left and reach for something. "Hey, Daddy," he gave a nervous laugh, "It's me, Angel. I'm back and we need to talk." The leg moved as the person was shifting back into an upright position.

Angel's heart dropped into his shoes. The person in the doorway sure as shit wasn't Val. It was much, much worse than that. He tried to take a step backwards, but tripped as a cable shot towards his ankles, effectively wrapping around them and completely immobilizing his legs.

"Hello there, Angel" he said. "You saved me a lot of trouble coming here. I really wanted to see you."


	28. No Knot Unties Itself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is the eve of the Blood Moon Once again.   
> Vox calls Al out.   
> Val is an unwilling accomplice to Alastor

Alastor and Vaggie had checked at Cherri's, there was no Angel. On the bright side, Cherri was there and she was willing to assist in the search. She and Vaggie decided that they would go downtown and that left uptown for Alastor to search. He knew that he could go and pick up Valentino to assist, but at this point he could use the portals and move much more quickly on his own. 

Alastor didn't know anyone else that Angel might have gone to, so he started looking the in the clubs along the way that he knew Angel liked to frequent. Each time, he came up empty. He was wandering in the streets, checking in the back alleys that he knew Angel had been seen previously, but he wasn't in any of those places either. 

Alastor felt as if he had been combing the city all day and had no results. Everywhere he looked, no one had seen Angel. He was losing hope and had already lost patience. He opened a portal to the hotel to check in there. Maybe he should invest in a hellphone. He could see how one might be useful right about now, if he could figure out how to use it. 

When he arrived at the hotel, he was surprised to see Cherri and Vaggie were already there. They should have been searching for much longer than he was, seeing as how he was using his powers to move around and they were on foot. It was then that he noticed that the mood in the room was strange, and that everyone seemed to be looking at him expectantly, as if they might all be in on a secret that he was left out of. He looked to Charlie, who was standing behind the couch next to Vaggie. "What's going on?" he asked hesitantly, "has someone heard from Angel?" 

Charlie nodded her head, and it seemed like everyone in the room was still looking at Alastor. The tension in the room was palpable, and the static rising from Alastor was increasing in volume and becoming less defined, which was only making everyone else more tense. Charlie handed a note to Alastor. 

*Greetings, Alastor.   
I have something that you are looking for. If you want him back you will meet me at Porn Studios at 7:00 pm tonight.  
Vox*

Alastor knew that absolutely every eye in the room was watching him, and although he could feel his heart pounding, and although even he was aware that the static was growing ever louder, ever more undefined, he could do nothing to stop his emotions. He folded the note and slipped it into his inside jacket pocket, then quickly walked away from the room full of people and made his way to Charlie's office, pulling Valentino right along with him. 

"What's he playing at, Val?" demanded Alastor, his patience sapped before he even began.

"Baby, I been here. I don't know..." Alastor had already snatched Valentino up by the throat with a thick, black tentacle that seemed to materialize from nowhere. 

"Don't" bellowed Alastor, before catching himself and lowering his voice to a growl, "don't waste my time with nonsense." When he was certain that Valentino understood his seriousness, the tentacle set Valentino on his feet, his hands immediately rubbing his adam's apple. "We have a deal, remember?" It might have been a question, but it was issued as a threat. "Now, what is he planning?" 

Valentino slumped into the chair in front of the desk. "He'll take me out, man, you know that, right? I ain't much help to you, even with a deal, if I'm dead." He looked at Alastor pleadingly. 

Alastor considered the words and quickly arrived at a decision. "I am capable of protecting you. We have a deal, so you belong to me." He leaned forward, his neck snapping to the left and his eyes and antlers changing into the more demonic form. "Furthermore, he can't kill you if I do it first. You need to remember the terms of our agreement, my dear"

Valentino's color had become instantly more pale, and his eyes went wide. "Okay...Oookay...let's not get too excited here." he stumbled, getting his thoughts together. "He needs for you two to undo the curse. He says it's too risky for you both to be linked to each other...something about the soul transfer having unintended side effects." 

This was a most interesting piece of information. If there were side effects that concerned Vox, then it must mean that somehow they would be stronger as a pair, threatening Vox and his plans somehow. Alastor was turning this over in his mind when Valentino opened his mouth to pass along more information.

"And as long as we're talking about side effects," he said, "you need to understand that when the curse is broken, you will both forget everything that happened at that dance. It'll be like none of it ever happened. Your feelings for one another will be exactly as they were before the dance." 

Alastor wasn't certain, but he thought that he saw the hint of a smirk crawling its way up Valentino's face. Little did he or Vox know that Angel and Alastor had already been developing feelings for each other before the dance ever happened. Alastor was certain that given the proper amount of time, those feelings would certainly blossom on their own. He wasn't worried about that in the least. He loved Angel then, he would still love Angel afterwards, and in either case, Valentino wasn't going to get Angel in any instance because Alastor was going to see to that himself. 

"Well then," he said brightly. "Looks like I need to prepare for a dance then, doesn't it?" He rose and made his way upstairs, sending Valentino back to the bar until it was time to leave. He had something important to attend to before it was time to rescue his Angel, and this task simply couldn't wait.


	29. Last Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The inevitable showdown between Al and Vox.  
> Angel finds some comfort

Angel Dust woke up with a pounding headache. He remembered finding Vox at the Porn Studios office, but strangely, he couldn't remember much after that. He wanted to rub his eyes, but he could tell already that his arms were all secured behind him, so that wasn't likely to happen anytime soon, since when he tried to teleport nothing happened. So either the curse was broken already or Vox had known already that he might have some of Alastor's abilities and had taken countermeasures. Angel figured that since the emptiness surrounding his heart hadn't changed, it must be the second option, bringing him back to square one. He knew that Alastor had broken his heart, and that he wasn't interested in being with Angel anymore, whatever his reasons were, but damned if Angel wouldn't give just about anything for him to show up now. He was the only person that Angel Dust knew that might stand a chance against Vox.

"Ah, you're finally awake, I see" Vox's voice rang out through the room. Angel didn't know where, but the must have been a speaker there. The room, as he looked about, was a dull grey color, and not very well lit. He couldn't see much detail from where he was sitting, but he knew that he was on the floor and he didn't see any windows or a door. He wasn't exactly sure how he ended up in here, but he suspected that Vox had put him in here once he was unconscious.

His thoughts took him back to a time when Val had put him in a similar room at the studio. It was one of the few instances where he tried to stand his ground with his former boss and he ended up paying a very painful price for it, not to mention he had learned a valuable lesson: what Daddy wants, Daddy gets, period. Angel could still remember every vile thing that happened in that cold room, it certainly wasn't the type of thing one was able to forget easily. Angel snorted. I guess that's kinda the point, he thought to himself. He had spent what seemed like eternity, but was actually only about a week in that little hellhole. He had never given Valentino a reason to ever send him back there.

As Angel continued to look around the room he noticed in the corner there was a video camera. No doubt that was how Vox was keeping an eye on him. Angel thought to himself that there might be a really good chance that Vox is watching him remotely and wasn't even in the building, but there really wasn't any way for him to know that without getting out of this room, which was pretty much not fucking happening any time soon. Even if he could manage to wiggle himself out of the restraints on his arms and legs, there was still the camera, which would tell on him immediately if he were to get loose, let alone spend time hunting for the door.

\--------------------------------

Alastor set his work aside, making certain to mark it with a note so that he would remember what he was doing later. He took his time getting ready to leave, it was a dance, after all. It wouldn't do to go looking disheveled. Alastor was a man of quality, after all, a southern gentleman, and he was going to see to it that he rode in to save the day. Who would have thought that after all this time he would be the good guy on the white horse, him, the dreaded and feared Radio Demon?

Since there hadn't been any instruction to come alone, everyone demanded that they be able to come along. Alastor mentioned that he didn't really care either way, the only ones that he required were Charlie and Valentino, and he would be bringing Valentino with him through the portal. Charlie would be arriving by car, which was fine. They had plenty of time. The stage was set, and it was time for the last dance to begin.

Once Valentino and Alastor had arrived at the studio, they were greeted at the door by some lower level demons. Must have been employees of Vox, as they didn't seem to pay much mind to Valentino. The demons showed them in and escorted them to the upstairs, where Alastor assumed the offices would be. It wasn't as if Alastor had ever been inside the porn studio, ha ha ha, no. That would never do, although tonight was an exception. He had unfinished business with Vox and he had his love to save. Two months ago, when this had all began, Alastor wasn't certain that he was capable of love, let alone having someone that loved him as well. He understood what a rare and precious thing love is and that it always comes with a price. Whatever price he had to pay, even if it was his own soul, he was going to rescue his love, the only love he had ever known, and nothing, not even Vox would stand in his way.

Once they had reached the upper floor, Vox was standing there to meet them. His screen showed a face that was far too smug for Alastor's taste. He had to remind himself that he couldn't shatter this bastard until Angel was safely away from this mess.

"Gentlemen," said Vox, "I am so glad you could make it." He eyed Valentino suspiciously. "Care to explain?" he asked the obvious question.

"I was defeated by him." he said deflated. "So I had to make a deal. He owns the majority of the stock in the studio now, so technically, I work for him."

Although Alastor knew that this was the line he had told Valentino to say, it still gave him great pleasure to hear it come from Val's slimy mouth.

Vox broke out in raucous laughter. "Oh my, my!" he exclaimed. "I never thought I would live to see the day that Alastor, the radio demon, no less, would be the owner of a porn studio!" To Vox's great surprise, Alastor joined him in his laugh.

"Yes, ha ha, who would have thought it! But I hear that it turns a very alluring profit. I could certainly use that in my pockets, although I don't know about you." He said, his smile accentuating the point quite clearly. It took a moment, but Vox realized that since Alastor was the owner now, he would be the one cashing the big checks, not Vox. No worries, he thought. As long as he could separate those souls, he could find a new way to make money. He had plenty of money, anyway.

"Enough of this." demanded Alastor, his patience beginning to run thin. "Where is Angel Dust? I assume that is why I am here?" Vox's screen cut to show a room with a single occupant, a pink and white spider demon sitting on the floor alone. He looked unharmed, but also profoundly unhappy. Alastor managed to keep most of the hurt from showing from behind the smile, but seeing Angel like this caused him to ache in his heart. He wanted nothing more than to run to him, scoop him up and carry him far away from this.

"As you can see," he said, "for right now he is fine. You'll be able to walk right out the front doors tonight, as long as you do one simple task for me." Vox gloated, this was his prize to win and he knew it. All he had to do was get them to dance together and the rest would be a piece of cake.

"What is it that you want, then?" questioned Alastor, devoid of any patience.

"As you know, it has been exactly two months since the last blood moon. All I require is that you and Angel Dust break the curse. The only thing you must do to break the curse is to dance together. Simple enough, no?" Vox smiled at Alastor as if he'd already won.

"Why does it matter to you so much if the curse is broken or not? What difference does it make to you at all?" questioned Alastor, although he suspected that he already knew the answer.

"Don't bother yourself with the details, buck boy." sneered Vox. "Either the two of you dance, or I will see to it that he dances at the end of a cable." As if to illustrate his point, Alastor watched on the screen as a long cord from the ceiling above Angel Dust began to tighten, pulling the slack out and beginning to pull the spider demon up into the air.

"Stop!" cried Alastor, before Angel's feet were lifted from the floor. "There's no need for that. We will dance." he said. He hadn't counted on Vox being so ruthless, but he supposed that he really should have suspected it. That machine had even less emotion than Alastor had. "I would like a few minutes with him...alone...before we dance."

Vox dismissed this with a wave of his hand. "You have ten minutes." he called over his shoulder. "then it's time." he gestured for the two lower level demons to see Alastor to where Angel Dust was being held.

The room was narrow, but long. When Alastor entered the door, he could make out Angel sitting up against the wall on the other end. At least Vox had released the tension on the cord, which was more than one would have expected from him. Alastor approached Angel silently, trying to gauge his mental status, but afraid to approach too slowly as the time was limited and there was a very important conversation to be had.

"Mon Ange" he whispered as he neared Angel Dust. He saw Angel's head lift a fraction and then the spider looked back down again. Alastor couldn't really blame him, considering what he thought he had heard earlier. "listen to me, sha. We don't have much time to talk, but there are things that must be said."

"Fuck you, Bambi." he spat in return. "You played with my heart, you broke it. I hope you had fun. Was it entertaining for you? Is that what it was for you, just another entertainment?" Angel was looking into Alastor's eyes. "How?" he cried, tears already wetting the fur on his cheeks. "How could you do that to me, let me think that you loved me and yet, you just wanted rid of me?" He choked out a sob. "How could you, even you, do that? I really thought you loved me, but I should have known better." He dropped his head again, "Nobody loves the whore. That isn't what we're for."

Hearing Angel Dust say these things, these awful things about himself, it was worse than the pain Alastor had felt already, and to make it worse, he was the one who caused it, even if he hadn't meant to.

"Listen to me now, sha." Angel picked his head up, mouth open, but Alastor put his hand over it before Angel could say another word. "Shh. Just. Listen." Alastor took a breath to steady his nerves. "I know what you think you heard this morning, but that wasn't the entire conversation. I love you. I have loved you, and after tonight, I will still find a way to love you. We can talk about the self image issues later, darling, but you must listen. We have to break the curse. We don't have the choice even if we want it. But trust me, my dear Angel, everything is going to be alright. I am so sorry that you were hurt, and we will work through this. I promise. It's a deal." he held out his hand, hoping that Angel would not pick now to be stubborn.

"Let me get this straight" said Angel, one eyebrow cocked up over the other. "Your end of the deal is that you will see to it that everything is alright, that we, together, as a pair, a couple, are okay?"

"Yes, darling."

"And my part of the deal, is what exactly?"

Alastor chuckled darkly. "Sha, I am not trying to trick you, but your end of the deal is that you have to trust me now and dance with me."

"and that's all?" asked Angel

"Yes, my dear Angel, that is all. Just dance this dance with me. I will do the rest."

Angel tilted his head for just a moment, then he firmly placed his hand in Alastor's hand, sealing the deal. "We have a deal, Mr. Radio Demon."

Alastor smiled. "Shall we dance?" he pulled Angel up and towards him, and he began to play the same song they danced to before, "Moonlight Serenade" as he hummed along with the tune.

All at once, the room changed and they were back at the ball, it was exactly the same as the first time that they had danced. They spoke about things that had happened since, Alastor told him about his deal with Valentino, which Angel thought was a hoot. All too soon the song was drawing to an end, and the one key difference was that this time there was no Valentino busting in and pulling a gun, it was just two friends, sharing a dance. After it was all said and done, Alastor made a somewhat stiff bow and thanked Angel for the dance.

Suddenly, a loud, slow clap rang out from the other end of the room. When Alastor and Angel turned, they saw Vox with the two lower level demons approaching.

"Wonderful, wonderful." Vox was crooning, a grotesque smile stretching from one side of the screen to the other. "I appreciate your cooperation, gentlemen, but now I have no further need for you." he signaled to the two demons behind him. Alastor, sensing that a trap was eminent, tried to open a portal, but nothing happened. "Ah yes," exclaimed Vox "this room cancels out any eldritch magic, so your portals, yeah, not so much." he pouted. "real bummer, huh?" Vox's maniacal laughter was cut short by two shots fired from Valentino's shot gun.

"There's still one in the chamber, Vox, so I wouldn't make any sudden moves. By the way, the shot is 100% angel steel, in case you hadn't guessed." Valentino gestured for Alastor and Angel to come with him, in the meantime, he kept his sights on Vox.

"Valentino, is this how you repay me for my generosity over the years?" he said mockingly. "Oh well, your loss!" A cable whipped out from behind him, catching Val around the neck. "I might have proofed against eldritch powers, but my powers work quite well here." Vox was roaring with maniacal laughter, all the while pulling Val farther off the floor.

Suddenly a huge steel trident sailed past all three men, lodging in Vox's screen. There were a few sparks, then as the demon fell dead, there was nothing but silence. Valentino had managed to slip the cable back off of his neck and was rubbing it to get the blood moving again. All eyes were locked on Charlie, who had thrown the massive trident. She walked across the room and planted one foot on Vox's shoulder, pulling the trident from his screen. "You don't take shit from other demons." she said simply. As she walked back towards the door, she stopped in front of Alastor, laying a hand on his shoulder. "come with me a minute, please" she said, stepping out of the room.

Angel Dust was left with Vaggie and Valentino, and it was a toss up which one was more uncomfortable with the situation. A few moments had passed and Alastor opened the door and called for everyone to please come on out, it was time to go home. Valentino opted to stay at the office and get things ready for business as usual the next morning. He had a porn studio to run, after all.


	30. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The conclusion and tying up of loose ends.

"Hey, Smiles!" called Angel from the kitchen. "You 'bout ready to go?" 

"Momentarily, my dear" Alastor answered, taking the last few stairs from the upper floors. 

Angel appeared from the kitchen, picnic basket packed up, and Alastor was carrying the blanket under his arm. 

"Waaaiiit!" called Charlie, chasing after the two with a camera. "I really want to get a picture of you two before you leave!" The princess was all but bouncing in place. Vaggie was even smiling, well, half smiling, at least. 

"Okay, scoot together and say Cheese!" 

"Don't forget to smile, Mon Ange" added Alastor, noticing Angel Dust's smile growing even wider. 

"You make me smile you big fool!" he said, giving a light punch to the upper part of Alastor's arm. 

The two turned and made a hasty exit from the front door before anyone else could want anything from them. Wednesday was their lunch date, and they wanted to start as soon as possible. 

"Aaaaaaw!" said Charlie, watching the whole scene unfold. "So sweet!" she exclaimed, clasping her hands in the middle of her chest.

"They need to just get a room already." Grumbled Husker, rolling his eyes and taking another gulp of his cheap booze.

"I still don't understand why they would need more rooms?!?" said Nifty, giving up on anyone answering her question.

As the happy couple walked arm in arm, they were reminiscing over the last few months. Who would have thought that they would have found their way back to love in such a short time, and this time, it was without the intervention of any celestial body. 

This time there had a been a completely different type of body that had been to blame. This time it had been Alastor himself, as he explained to Angel Dust over some very nice cheese and crusty french bread. 

"You see, mon ange" he began, "once I knew what the game was with Vox, I knew that we would both lose our memory of the dance and the love that followed. I simply made a journal entry. I wrote myself a nice long letter about you, about how much you mean to me and how much more robust my life has been since I had fallen for you. I wrote about how empty I felt when you were gone, and how much torture the days were when I wasn't near you. I wrote all of those things so that I would know that this was an opportunity that I didn't want to miss. 

I spoke to my shadows as well, hoping that they would remember, but sadly, their memories were wiped out along with mine, I suppose that was because they are a part of me. 

When I had made the plan with Charlie for her to arrive after we did, expecting Vox to not keep his word, I told her about the journal entry and I left the journal with her. When she had me leave the room, she handed me the journal, and I read every word. I couldn't believe what I was seeing, but then again, part of me could believe it, because as I had told you many times, I was already in love with you before we ever danced. It was just a matter of us taking our time and paying attention to the signals that we were ignoring before." 

"So it was a journal entry, huh?" questioned Angel Dust. 

"Yes, darling, that is exactly right." answered Alastor. 

"May I read it then ?" he asked, one eyebrow raised.

"I thought you'd never ask." answered Alastor, handing the book to Angel Dust, followed by the sweetest embrace known to either demon.


End file.
